Dark Horse
by cocopuff017
Summary: Daughter of the Dark Lord is aching for revenge. Not even Dumbledore will be prepared for this when the time comes. Fem-Harry; Heavy Dumbledore bashing; some gore and heavy emphasis on torture. Follows a little of the books. Dark Drarry
1. Chapter One

[A/N: Hey guys, so this is a new story I've been wanting write for a while now. I was thinking about writing this after I finish 'Love's Journey' but my Drarry heart is aching for me to write this so, here it is~ Yes, it's a female harry, so if you don't like it, turn the other way. There will be French and Russian in this story so I'll let you know which is which for each one. As always, please read, comment and favorite or subscribe~ I'll like to know what you guys feel about this new story. Just know that it's going to be a long one.]

Stepan- Styepahn

Chapter 1

A soft coo from a baby could be heard in the large bedroom as the mother held it securely in her arms. "You're absolutely beautiful." She whispered as she looked down at the tiny red face. She had given birth hours earlier and she was already in love. "Mistress, you and young mistress should rest." A squeak from a house elf could be heard from the side of the bed. She smiled softly, not taking her eyes off of the black haired baby. "I'll be alright, Dollop. Go on and take a rest. I'll call you if you need anything." The house elf bowed, used to this kind of command and disappeared with a silent crack to not frighten the baby.

A gentle knock on the door could be heard and like before, she never looked up from her baby's face. "Come in." She said. The cherry wood door opened to have a small boy and a handsome man come walking in. The woman's face lit up when she looked up to see who it was. "Christopher sweetie, do you want to meet your new baby sister?" She asked the little boy, who came to a stop next to the bed. The little boy who looked so much like his father, nodded, eyeing the little bundle in his mother's arms apprehensively. The handsome man had a slight nervous face as he picked up the little boy, supporting him on his hips.

"Here. Isn't she beautiful?" She asked as she turned the little bundle in her arms so the two males could see her. The handsome male was shocked at first at how beautiful his daughter looked before it quickly changed to adoration. "She is." He croaked out a little, his eyes getting suspiciously wet. Those who knew the male personally knows that he wasn't one to show emotions openly, especially in public. He only reserved them for his closest friends and his wife. Lilly had a bright smile on her face at her husband's show of emotion while her son was put down on the bed. The little dark-haired boy crawled over to get a better look at the bundle.

He looked down at the red face baby to see a set of eyes most peculiar. Emerald eyes, much like his mother's, with small red flecks, much like his father's eyes. "Daddy, she had your eyes too." He said as he looked at his father before turning his attention back to his baby sister. The handsome male looked pleased with this as he looked over at his wife. "She'll be a strong one when she older." Lily laughed softly, fully agreeing with him. "Have you figured out what her names should be?" He asked. His wife nodded as she looked down at her baby once again. "We'll name her Diana." She said. Her husband paused a minute to think over the name. "Diana Lily Riddle…it sounds perfect."

The moment was interrupted by a light knock on the door. "Enter." He said as he looked at the cherry wood door. The door opened and in came a heavily pregnant Narcissa and Lucius Malloy. "Cissa, you should be resting." Lily lightly scolded the blonde female as the said female sat on the edge of the bed. "I wanted to see the beautiful little girl." Lily chuckled softly, shaking her head a little as she transferred her daughter into Cissa's arms. Lucius has moved to stand next to his wife to get a good look at the new bundle of joy. "She's a beauty. Just like her mother." Narcissa laughed softly as she gently rocked the baby in her arms. "You better watch out, Tom. She'll be getting a lot of marriage proposals when she gets old enough." Tom gave her a scowl and huffed. "Over my dead body."

The room was filled with laughter again. The women were distracted talking to each other about Narcissa's soon to be born son and the men talked to the side, Tom's face frowning slightly and nods. He turned to look at Lily. "Angel, I have to leave for a few hours. We're having a meeting." Lily smiles softly and nods. "Alright, my love. Come back as soon as you can." Tom nods and left the room with Lucius. She scoffed softly and shook her head a little. That's what happens when you fall in love with Tom Riddle, the most feared wizard in London.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

The sound of babies babbling amongst the sound of people murmuring to each other fill the dark tiled large room. All the death eaters were present, well, the ones who didn't get caught by the aurors which were notably very few. Tom sat at the head of the table, his eyes mixed with light blue and flecks of red, just like his daughter. On his right sat Lucius and Severus sat on his left. Narcissa and Lily, who had covered herself with a clock and had Christopher on her lap, sat on the next seats over. Tom and Lily had agreed that she remained hidden for the time being since most of the death eaters didn't appreciate having a muggle born so high up in the ranks. Especially Bellatrix.

A shrill baby cry cut through the air and all the death eaters turned their attention to the head of the table. There sitting on the Dark Lord's lap sat Diana, who seemed to be growing every single day. Her emerald eyes always seemed to catch people off guard, especially when they noticed the red flecks. Many agreed that she would be a force to be reckoned with. Her skin was as pale as her fathers as well as the dark hair but was straight as her mothers. Every day, she resembled her mother, well to those who knew what she looked like anyway. The little tot was babbling away at the Malfoy heir, Draco, who had looked very comfortable on his father's lap. The two had become close ever since they were introduced to each other during play time.

"Let the meeting commence." Tom's voice slice through the air, ignoring the fact that the babies were talking. The death eaters turned their attention back to their lord. The death eaters were constantly at war with the aurors and it wouldn't do to get caught. While everyone had their attention on the Dark Lord, both babies had somehow managed to find their father's wand and drew it from their robes.

"It's as you predicted, my Lord," Severus said silkily. "Dumbledore took the lie I fed him and-" The potion master was cut off when a bright red spell shot out from the wand in Diana's tiny hand which she had waved in a fit of excitement and ricocheted off the black tiled walls. Everything was chaos when the spell bounced off the walls like a pinball machine until finally colliding with a deather eater's face. Everyone was silent as they watched said death eater tip sideways in his chair and landed on the floor, passed out. Diana stared wide-eyed at what happened before she laughed. Her bubbly baby laugh bounced off the walls, almost making the others follow along with her but thought better of it.

"Father, what spell was that?" Christopher, who had been silent this entire time, suddenly asked. Tom snapped out from his shocked looked, granted he looked stoic as ever but those who knew him personally could see it in his eyes and was about to answer his son when he caught the death glare his wife was sending him from under the cloak hood, daring him to respond because he was in deep trouble now. "I'll tell you later, son." He finally said, causing Christopher to pout a little.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Happy birthday, princess," Tom whispered as he gently caressed her head, careful to not wake her up from her nap. All the birthday guests had left and the house elves had already cleared up the mess. A familiar feminine hand caressed his back and a lovely smelling perfume wafted up to his nose as his wife stood next to him. "They both had a tiring day." She whispered as they looked down into the playpen where both of their children decided to sleep in. They both looked at each other before sharing a brief kiss and pulled each other into a hug. Worry immediately washed over them as they took in each other's scent, trying to calm down their racing brains. "I'm worried..." Lily mumbled out as she buried her face in his chest.

Tom was too, but he needed to be strong for his family. He pulled away slightly and cupped her cheeks so she would look up at him, his eyes showing just as much worry. "I won't let him hurt you or the kids. I promise you. He'll have to get through me if he wants our Diana." He growled out. Fresh tears fell from her emerald eyes and she was quickly pulled into a tight hug. Her body racked with sobs as she clung to him. "I-I don't this to be...no." She pulled from his chest and quickly wiped away her tears while shaking her head. _I can't think like that._ She looked up at her husband with a look of new-found determination. "Did you prepared everything with the Ivankov's?" Tom nodded. They're a close family friend and he trusted his kids with them.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Shall we read this today, princess?" He asked as he placed Diana on his lap and showed her the book. They were in her bedroom which was painted with white but had girly decorations. The guests from her birthday party spoiled her with toys and books and she had yet to go through them all. A soft coo was all he needed and her cracked open the book. Lily and Christopher had left the house to shop in Diagon Alley and won't be back for a while. "Once upon a time..." He started off, his voice soft as he read every page, lolling her to sleep in his arms. He reached the end of the book and quietly closed the book. He carefully lifted her up and carried her to her crib without waking her up. He draped the baby blanket over her and gave her forehead a soft kiss before leaving the room.

The moment he closed the door, a loud bang could be heard coming from the front door, nearly shaking the mansion. _What the hell?! I know it can't be muggles, so who-_ He knows who it was. Riddle Mansion wasn't impenetrable but it had good protections none the less. Only one person could break through it. "Dollop!" He yelled out. A house elf appeared in front of him, her ear stiff and alert. She must have heard the explosion too. "Stay here with Diana. Don't let anyone else come close to her." The house elf made a stiff nod. "Yes, master." She disappeared with another crack.

Tom quickly drew his wand out from his pant pocket and silently padded to the grand stairs to peer down to see the front door had been blasted off. He silently cursed as he made a quick flick of his wand and a doe appeared in front of him. He whispered a message into its ear and watched it disappear. She'll be here soon. He steeled his heart as he silently padded down the stairs, his wand at the ready as he quickly scanned his surroundings. He sees the back of an auror and blasted him with a curse. The auror cried out when he was hit, alerting the others. A barrage of spells charged at him but he quickly hides behind a granite pillar. "Tom, just come out! Don't make this harder then it needs to be!" Dumbledore's voice rang out, causing Tom to roll his eyes. "Shut the fuck up, old man!" He quickly whipped around and shot a sectumsempra at one of the aurors, making their mark before he quickly hides behind the pillar, dodging more hexes pointed at him.

Suddenly a jelly-leg curse hit another auror and Lily ran to stand next to him behind the pillar. "Is Christopher safe?" He asked her as their hands linked together. She nodded, her green eyes blazing with fire. "Let's get these sons of bitches," Tom smirked. That's why he loved her. The fire in the both of them complemented each other. "I'll distract them and you'll go grab Diana." He said before whipping around and shot off bombardas at the aurors, making a good distraction. Lily quickly ran as fast she could up the grand stair. Bad timing to had such long stairs. She turned to the right as she ran towards her daughter's bedroom.

A wave of relief washed over her as she ran towards her room. The door wasn't open or anything so nothing bad has happened to her daughter. She barged into the room and her eyes widened in horror at the scene in front of her. Dumbledore was sitting in the rocking chair with a still sleeping Diana in his arms, his wand pointed directly at her daughter's face. There on the floor was Dollop, dead. "Hello, Lily. I suggest you don't make a sound to alert your husband." The old man facade he always sported was gone and was replaced with a cold look. "You thought you could hide her from me." He said more to himself as he gently caressed her cheek with his pointer finger. "Don't you fucking touch her, you bastard." She hissed threateningly, getting ready to blast him with anything and get her daughter out of her.

Dumbledore sighed, shaking his head in feigned disappointment as he made a flick of his fingers. Two aurors suddenly appear and each grabbed a hold of her. "Let go of me!" She screamed as she struggled as one of the aurors ripped her wand from her hand. Her screamed caught Tom's attention and his fires stop. "Lily!" He yelled, sending one last hex before bolting up the stairs. His heart raced in his chest as he turned the corner and felt his blood run cold when he saw Dumbledore standing in the hallway with his daughter in his arms while Lily was to the side struggling to get away from two more aurors.

"You bastard." He hissed menacingly as he slowly stepped towards the old man. Five aurors appeared in front of him. His wand forgotten and he punched the first auror to touch him. They were not expecting this. But numbers count. Two aurors managed to tackle him to the floor, knocking his wand out of his hand in the process. "You son of a bitch!" He roared, trying to kick the aurors off of him when he felt his hand gets bound by restraints used in Azkaban. "Oh, Tom..." Dumbledore sighed as the aurors hauled him up to his feet. "Moody." The old man called out and a haggard-looking male with one eye stepped out of the shadows. "You know what to do."

"Of course, Dumbledore." He said in a gruff voice as he limped over to Lily who was still fighting to break out of her predicament. "Stay away from her, you bastard!" Tom roared, struggling to break free with renewed energy. Dumbledore tsked and passed sleeping Diana into an auror's arms before walking over to Tom. He hissed as the old man gripped his hair with surprising strength, forcing his head back a little. "I want you to watch this? This is what happens when you choose to ruin my plans." He said with a surprising menace in his voice. Moody whipped out his wand from his worn out pants and pointed it Lily as he gripped her head, making her emerald eyes look straight up at the haggard looking man. "It's been a pleasure knowing you."

He said gruffly before he said a spell. "Obliviate!" Tom watched in horror as Lily's eyes glazed over as a white stream erupted from her head in a siphoning motion. Moddy started muttering something and yellowish stream coming out from his head and entered Lily's. "What the fuck are you doing to her?!" He screamed as he was forced to watch his wife unwillingly got her memories wiped. After a few minutes, Moody was done and ended the spell. Lily's eyes were still glazed over but she looked more confused. Dumbledore let go of Tom's hair and walked over to the auror who still had Diana in his arms while pulling out a vial from his robe pocket. It looked golden yellow and he pulled out the pacifier from her mouth after uncorking the vial and quickly poured the liquid into Diana's mouth.

Tom watched in horror as his daughter transformed in front of him into someone else. He blew up with rage. "You bastard! I should kill you for this!" He screamed, attempting to break out of his binds and charge at the old man. Lily seemed to have broke from her gaze and she looked around her surrounding with confusion. "W-Where am I? I-I don't know how I got here." She said, sounding frightened. Dumbledore quickly placed his grandfatherly image and calmly walked over to her. "You're safe now, my dear. You've been captured by Voldemort and we've come to save you." Lily looked at the people around her before her emerald eyes landed on Tom. Her emerald eyes widen with fear. "You bastard! What the hell did you do to my baby?!" She screamed as she charged at Tom.

Tom felt his heart tear in his chest, knowing that she won't recognize him and that she would believe whatever shit the old man planted in her brain. "I didn't anything, Lily. I swear." Her eyes widened when he said her name. "W-What happened to me? Why are you using my name...like you know me personally?" Dumbledore came in, still keeping the caring personality. "Nothing my dear. He is just trying to get into your head. Your baby is right here." He said as he motioned towards the auror holding Diana in his arms. "Diana!" She almost wept as she ran over to hold her tight in her arms. "Thank you, Albus...Thank you." She whispered as tears dripped down her cheek. Dumbledore smiled softly and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Come. James has been waiting for you."

Lily gasped as if she had completely forgotten about him. "James! How is he?" She asked as she whisked off to Merlin knows where. "Come on, you." An auror growled as Tom was pushed to follow them. He was too numb to react. In just a span of hours, his life was turned upside down. At least he knows that his son is in a safe place.

Halloween Night

The house was completely trashed. Holes and scorch marks from spells marred the walls and ceilings. A ragged breathing could be heard as Lily struggled to move on the floor with James' cold body laying next to her. Her body has been taking multiple rounds of crucio and she didn't know how long she could take it anymore. "Lily..." A ragged deep breath caught her attention and she looked forward to seeing him, struggling to drag himself across the floor to be closer to her. "T-Tom..." She whispered out a name, not knowing why that was the first thing out of her mouth. She always remembered associating that face with Voldemort and not 'Tom'.

Dumbledore was standing off to the side and was getting bored of the sight. "Any last words to your wife, Tom?" Tom made an effort to glare at the old man. He was doing a fine job breaking him down mentally before killing him. Lily was about to snap at Dumbledore for say that _this_ man was her husband but something stirred in her heart. A faint familiar feeling of recognition washed over like she should know who he is. "Very well then." Dumbledore walked over his body to stand right next to Lily's weak body, Tom's wand at the ready. "Farewell Lily." He said as calm as ever as he pointed the wand directly at her. Lily looked over at Tom and felt like she had to something. But what? Her lips moved on their own to mouth something. "I love you." Tom's eyes widened when he comprehended what she said before a bright green light hit her back. A silent tear escaped from his eyes as he stared at the still body of his wife, her green eyes staring unseeing at the floor.

His forehead landed on the floor as more tears streamed from his eyes, echoing the pain he was feeling. He let out a scream of anguish, mentally cursing at Dumbledore for killing off the woman of his life and ruining his life as his body shook. "I found her, sir." Moody's rough voice entered the room. "Good. Place her in front of him." Tom cursed again. Why doesn't bastard just kill him now? He felt something was placed right in front of his head and he forced himself to look up. Diana had grown since he last saw her but he saw wasn't t how she really looked. "Diana..." He croaked, his eyes swimming again as he weakly reached out to stroke the back of her head. "Dada..." She babbled as she placed chubby hands on his sunken in cheeks. He closed his eyes as he begged himself not to break down. He wasn't going to satisfy the old man's sick twisted ways.

"I'm so sorry, princess." He whispered before gently kissing her cheek. He didn't see Dumbledore flick his wand and another crucio hit his body. He usually would have endured a simple crucio but being that he was so weak and hadn't eaten for days, everything seemed to triple. His cries echoed throughout the house, his fingers gripping the floor tightly but his body never twisted or turned in agony. He wasn't going to give the bastard the satisfaction. The pain suddenly stopped, leaving him panting from the ache in his body. "Now, watch as I kill your daughter," Dumbledore said tauntingly as he pointed his wand at the little baby. "Don't you fucking dare!" He yelled out hoarsely, ignoring the pain in his throat. Dumbledore had a cold smirk on his face before a bright green shot out from the wand, heading straight towards Diana.

The green spark connected with her and something happened that neither anticipated. The spell seemed to ricochet off of her body and started heading back towards Dumbledore but he quickly pulled up a shield and watched as the spell ricochet off that and slammed into Tom, causing him to scream in agony. A blinding light seemed to envelop the entire house before a huge explosion almost leveled the entire house. Dumbledore got back to his feet after being knocked off his feet. He scanned the scene and cursed as he noticed Tom's body had shrunken to a baby size and was still breathing while Diana wailed off to the side, sporting a lightning bolt on her forehead.

He drew out Tom's wand again and was about to kill those two once and for all when a peculiar idea passed his mind. "Interesting..." A demented grin crossed his face and waved off the aurors from doing anything. "I'm leaving with the baby. Don't anything to Voldemort." They bowed their head and one by one disappeared from the scene with loud pops. Dumbledore pointed the wand at the wailing baby and made her go to sleep. "Annoying kid." He sneered and picked the baby up before disappearing as well. He had the perfect place to put the baby. Lily has a sister on Privet Drive and hates anything abnormal. Perfect.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

Dumbledore left the sleeping baby at the doorstep of 4 Privet Drive and disappeared as quickly as he appeared. Not even a few minutes passed, two cloaked figures appeared. One ran to the doorstep and whisked the baby. "Oh, you must be freezing, **_malen'kiy_**." (little one) The female cooed with a slight accent at the sleeping child as the other cloaked person stepped up to the little walkway to stand next to her. **_"_ _Prikhodite, moya lyubov'. Nam nuzhno dvigat'sya. Muzhchiny Dambldora mogli skryvat'sya." (R)_** (Come, my love. We need to move. Dumbeldore's men could be lurking around.) The female nodded and followed the male out of the area with the baby held close to her chest. They disappeared with a crack and reappeared in the main walkway of their mansion.

"Aunt Valentina?" A small voice called out to them and Christopher stepped into view. "Diana!" He yelled out and ran over to see if she was alright. Valentia crouched down to let him have a better look, a kind smile on her face as her husband, Stepan, ran to the Floo to contact someone. "She'll be alright, **_milaya_**." (sweetie). The Floo suddenly roared to life and Severus with Lucius stepped out of the green flames. "Good, you managed to find the kids. I know where his location is. Stepan, you'll be coming with us." The male gave stiff and looked back at his wife briefly before stepping through the Floo once again. "Come, let's go to the sitting room while we wait," Valentina said as she ushered Christopher into the said room while carrying Diana.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

The three men appeared with a loud crack on the streets of Godric's Hollow. Stepan looked confused as he looked at their surroundings. "What are we doing in a muggle street? Severus immediately started walking, his cloak flapped behind him like a bat as the other two followed him. "Dumbledore foolishly told me during the Order meeting." Lucius scoffed as he kept in time with the potion master, his cane making a rhythmic thud against the floor. "What makes you think Dumbledore is telling the truth? He did give you false information the first time you inquired where Tom was, remember?" Stepan commented. "Because the old fool can't help but boast about his 'good deeds'." Severus drawled. They made a sharp turn at a corner and kept walking until they came to a stop in front of an iron gate. They all drew their wands out. They knew that it would be suicidal for any members of the Order to still be here, especially if any muggles heard the explosion but one can't be too cautious.

The three men cautiously walk through the front walk path to notice that the front door was blasted open. Lucius silently casted the lumos charm to light their way. They carefully stepped through the front entrance so they see how deadly things transpired only a few hours ago. Broken glass cracked under their foot as they delved in deeper until their eyes caught three bodies on the floor. **_"Sladkiy Merlin ..." (R)_** (Sweet Merlin...) Stepan whispered out when he noticed the small form of Tom and quickly knelt by his side. "Good Gods, what did that old coot do to you, Tom?" Severus mumbled as he performed a quick diagnostic charm while the other two waited with bated breath. Severus ended the spell with a worried crease on his forehead. "He's weak. I don't know what caused his body to appear like this. I'll need to do some research."

"Then where should we place him then? The aurors are watching our" Lucius said as he pointed to himself and Stepan. "houses. Putting him there will be suicidal." Severus paused for a minute, deep in thought. "How about my house?" He inquired after a bit. Lucius raised an eyebrow at this before nodding. "That will do. The Order trusts you and wouldn't suspect you for holding anything dark art related." Severus nodded as he carefully levitated Tom in the air. "Both of you head back home. I'll send word once I figure out what is going on." Both men nodded before all three disappeared with a crack.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

The Floo in the Ivankov mansion roared to life and Stepan stepped out from the flames in the sitting room. The two Riddle kids have fallen asleep on the couch, waiting for news. **_"U vas yest' informatsiya?" (R)_** (Do you have any information?) Valentina asked as she got up from her chair. Stepan relayed everything he saw in the house, sparing her the more gruesome details. Valentina gasped as she covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes sparkling with tears. She was very close to Lily and thought of her as a sister. Stepan pulled her in for a hug, softly whispering consoling words into her ears as he gently rubbed her back. Neither of them noticed that Christopher had woken up from his sleep.

"Are they dead?" His voice cut through the air, scaring the couple slightly. Valentina took one look at those blue eyes and wanted to lie but she knew that Lily would want her children to know the truth, no matter how horrible it was. She didn't even bother to wipe tears away as she knelt in front of the little boy. **_"_** ** _Je suis tellement désolé, chérie ... Ta mère ne l'a pas fait_** ** _" (F)_** (I'm so sorry, sweetie...Your mother didn't make it.) She said in a whisper as she looked up at those blue eyes who had just heard the worst thing that can happen to any child.

Instead of crying, the little boy just sat there, his blue eyes quickly turning cold and Valentina could practically see the fire behind them. "Who did it?" Valentina quickly looked at her husband, unsure of what to say. Stepan walked over and did the same as his wife, kneeling in front of the boy. "We suspect its Dumbledore." He then added. "We'll avenge your mother, son. Your father is healing right now so once he gets better, we'll figure out the next plan." Christopher gave a stiff nod before turning to look at his sleeping sister. "Will we be ok staying here?"

Valentina sniffed a little and nods. "Yes. We will need to do a few things tomorrow to tie up loose ends." Christopher nodded again and laid down next to Diana, holding her tiny body against his.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Calamus asked the couple sitting in front of him in his office in Gringotts. Their request wasn't unheard of, especially in the general community. "Yes. We would like to give them new identities." The goblin looked over at the little boy who was holding a baby on his lap. "Very well. What are the children's names?" He drawled as he looked at the couple over the rim of his spectacles. "Christopher and Diana Riddle," Stepan stated. The goblin paused for a moment. "The Riddles...they are one of Gringott's prized customers."

"Then you know what Tom is capable of then." Stepan stated, a warning clear in his eyes as their eyes met across the desk. Calamus smirked and quickly snapped his long fingers and a roll of parchment appeared in front of him. "Of course. We goblins believe in the same thing as Tom does. What would you like their new names to be?" He asked as he dipped his quill in the inkwell.

"Diana's new name will be Natalya Ivankov and Christopher's will be Anton Ivankov," Valentina said. The goblin writes everything down placed the children's old record next to each other. "I know pronounce Christopher and Diana have died!" He jabbed his wand tip on the old parchments and the words 'deceased' written across it in big bold letters. "Their new names shall be Anton and Natalya!" Christopher watched as a dull light outlining his body as well as Diana's for a split second before disappearing. "Welcome to the world, Anton and Natalya."


	2. Chapter Two

[A/N: Hey guys, I'm glad that so many of you have enjoyed the first chapter of this new series~ Thanks to those who subscribed to my story and favorited it~ Koldovstoretz is the Russian Wizarding always, if the Russian or French in this chapter is off, don't blame me, I'm using Google Translate. Please read, comment and subscribe~]

Chapter 2

10 years later

A pained scream echoed in the poorly lit chamber. Masked individuals in black cloaks stood around a body writhing on the floor until the spell disappeared as quickly as it came. The sound of heavy breathing sounded eerie in the chamber as the fire crackled in the furnace. "You were only what, Mulciber? Didn't Severus warn you not to touch that gold chalice?" A cold child's voice cut through the silence, bringing the masked individuals' attention to the small cloaked figure in the black antique throne chair situated in front of the room. There on either side of the chair stood two other individuals as a small snake slithered along the back of the chair.

Mulciber was visibly shaking as he lifted his head up to look at the cloaked figure. He couldn't see any distinct facial features but the emerald eyes with red flecks stood out the most."I-I'm sorry, my la-" His voice was suddenly cut off when one of the men standing next to the chair flicked their wand. "Our lady didn't say you can speak, you blabbering fool." A familiar silky voice echoed through the room. The small cloaked figure cocked their head to the side like they were contemplating something.

"You think this is my fault. I warned you that you would be held accountable if _anyone_ from _your_ party got caught." Mulciber gulped when he felt the anger emanate from the small figure. He had made a big mistake. She was as powerful as her father and seemed to have inherited his proficiency at Legimency as well as her brother. He opened his mouth to speak when a powerful Crucio hit his body. His screams filled the room until his voice became horace from screaming, and only then did the curse ended. Bellatrix's cackling laugh echoed throughout the chamber."Get out of my sight." The small figure commanded.

Mulciber struggled to his feet since it felt like his legs had turned into putty and left the chambers looking haggard. The small figure sighed as she leaned back in the throne chair, feeling bored with the activities. She didn't want to talk to her father's men any longer. "Where is my brother?" She asked towards the two men standing on either side of her. "He'll be here soon, my Lady. I presume he is leaving Koldovstoretz as we speak." one figure said as they leaned over to her before stepping back to their previous position. She nodded before moving her head just little towards the other figure on the opposite side. "Lucius, has Draco arrived yet?"

"I believe so, my Lady. Narcissa mentioned she had a brief errand in Knockturn Alley." The other figure said. She nodded and got up from the chair, causing the others to bow their heads in respect as she left the room.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

Diana was broken out of her mindless daze up at the clear blue skin from her reclined position on the grass when a small cold, smooth thing slithers across her stomach. **_"Hello, beautiful." _**She hissed in Parseltongue as she glided a finger across the black scaly skin. **_" Hello, Mistress."_** The snake hissed back, his tongue darting out every so often. She had named this snake Prometheus when she received him as an egg for her ninth birthday from her father. Apparently, Nagini had given birth and she wanted her to raise her offspring. He was as black as his mother and had a possibility of being just as big as she was.

 ** _"What is this Hogwarts Mistress is speaking off?"_** Prometheus asked, catching Diana slightly by surprise. She didn't think the snake would remember this since it looked like he was fast asleep on her shoulder. **_"Hogwarts is a wizarding school and I'm going to attend there in September."_** She said as the sunlight shined through the tree leaves, casting beautiful shadows on them. **_"Would you like to come with me to Hogwarts?"_** Diana asked. Prometheus' little black head lifted up from his position on her chest and bobbed his up and down. **_"Yes...Will there be other snakes there?"_** Diana chuckled as she gently patted his head, shaking her head. _**"No, you'll be the only snake there but there'll be a lot of other pets there."**_ She said. Prometheus' head titled a little bit to the side as if he was curious about what other pets will there.

 _ **"Like what?"**_ Diana pretended to think about it. _**"Hm...rats, cats and other furry animals."**_ Diana laughed when she noticed Prometheus had started flicking his tongue out in a hungry manner. **_"Oooo sounds so yummy..."_** He hissed, bobbing his head as if he was gulping. _**"I'm sure Hogwarts will have plenty of rats for you."**_

July 31st

Diana looked at herself in the mirror after she changed into the peach colored dress she had picked out the day before. She slipped on a pair of silver strappy low heels with The soft fabric ended a few meters above her knee and she looked how it looked on her. If only her father could see her now. She sighed softly, feeling a little sad as she wondered what her father was doing currently, the need to see her father in the flesh. Valentina always said that she looked like Lily and she agreed full-heartedly when she saw the picture of her parents. _I promise you, Mother. I'll avenge you._

A light knock broke her train of thought and she looked at the door to see Valentina walk in, already dressed for the occasion. **_"_ _Privet, Tetya Valentina."_** (Hello, Aunt Valentina.) The woman smiled as she walked over to Diana and placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head. **_"_ _Ty_ _vyglyadish' krasivoy, moya dorogaya._ _Poydem, davay syadem na tvoyu postel', chtoby ya mog tvoi volosy._ _" (R)_** (You look beautiful, my dear. Come, let's sit down on your bed so I can do your hair.) Diana complied since Valentina always did her hair. They both sat on the bed and Valentina ran a brush through her dark hair, snagging slightly at some small snares.

They both had a light conversation as Valentina did her hair in a braided half up-half down fashion and used hairpins to hold everything in place. ** _"Otlichno."_** (Perfect.) The woman said with a smile as she admired her handiwork. **_"Gde Kristofer?"_ **(Where's Christopher?) She asked as she stood up from her bed. **_"On v_ _svoyey spal'ne."_** (He's in his bedroom.) Valentina said as she got up from the bed and left the room to make sure everything was perfect for the food and the decoration. Diana left her bedroom and made her way to her brother's room.

She lightly knocked on the closed door and heard a muffled voice from the other side telling her to come in. Diana stepped into the slightly dark room from the sun shining outside, to see her brother laying down on the bed. "Sleeping already, dear brother?" She heard a snort and her brother waved her over. Diana jumped on to the bed and Christopher pulled her in close.

"I wish I could be there with you when you enter Hogwarts. I want to laugh at Dumbledore's face when he realized there was an enemy in his school." He said, an evil smirk played with his lips as he stared up at the bed canopy above them. Diana pouted at that. "I don't know why I can't trade places with you. From what Uncle Severus said, Dumbledore doesn't know that you existed. He only knew of me."

Christopher rolled his eyes at this. He had heard this wine plenty of times for the past two weeks when the idea was proposed when Diana questioned what school she was going to attend. "That may be the case but Uncle Stepan recommends that it stay that way for the time being."

Diana huffed as she moved her head to rest on his chest. "You always get the fun stuff." Christopher chuckled softly as he moved his head to kiss the top of hers. "I promise, you won't be bored at that dump. Besides, you won't be there alone. Uncle Severus, Draco and some of the death eater children will be there." He did have a point there.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"So, Diana, what are your plans when you get into Hogwarts?" Pansy Parkinson asked. The party was well underway and all of the adults had left the room, the men going into the smoke room while the women went to the sunroom for tea, leaving the kids alone in the living room. The kids of the death eaters that were in the inner circle were present, sitting with Diana in a circle at the couches.

Diana took a few minutes to look at the faces around her. They were as young as her but they were capable. Some members she was unsure of but only time could tell her of their loyalty. She shook her head. "As of now, nothing has come to light yet. However, I know for certain that we must stay low until my father gets his body back. Only then can the plans be in motion." The others nodded.

August

Diagon Alley was bustling with busy shoppers as usual. School students running around with excitement, dodging pedestrians as they laughed. Diana scowled as she walked around the bustling people. She had gotten her Hogwarts letter as well as Draco and they've decided to come to Diagon Alley with Aunt Valentina to buy their school supplies. **_"_** ** _Aucun de ces enfants n'a jamais entendu parler de livres?" (F)_** (Have none of these kids ever heard of books?) Draco asked as he sniffed with his nose tilted up, watching a bunch of school kids their age run to their parents with pure excitement in their eyes like this was their first book.

 ** _"_** ** _Ne leur fais pas attention, Draco. " (F)_** (Pay them no mind, Draco.) Diana said with a small smirk before stopping in front of _Flourish & Blotts_ _._ _ **"Vy dvoye prodolzhayete. U menya yest' biznes v Bordzhine i Berkes. Cherez chas ya vstrechus' s vami u Madam Malkin." (R)**_ (You two go on in. I have some business in Borgin and Burkes. I'll meet you both at Madam Malkin's in an hour.) The two nodded and walked into the shop just as the woman left for her errand. The bookstore barely had any customers, which would change towards the start of the school when parents are scrambling to get their kid's school supplies

Diana and Draco walked over towards the back of the bookstore where most of the school books were located, ignoring the long stares of wizards and witches as they walked past the aisles with their head held high. They reached the required aisle to see a couple of kids with red hair occupying the bookshelves. "Weasley," Draco said with a sneer, his nose turned up a little as if he had smelled something foul in the air. Diana held back a smirk as one of the redheads, a kid about their age, scowled at the blond, seemingly not noticing she was standing there. "What the hell do you want, Malfoy? Shouldn't you be with your Death Eater father and doing dark arts stuff?"

Draco raised an eyebrow at but smirks tauntingly at the redhead. "My, my, I wasn't aware that you wanted to know what I do every single moment of the day. I'm starting you think you like me." The redhead turned an ugly shade of red and tried to stand up tall to save face. "Why you little - " The oldest of the redheads, a lanking tall guy, stopped the small redhead by grabbing to the back of his shirt. "Knock it off, Ron. Mother warned us to not fight with those working with Father in the Ministry." The one named Ron huffed at that.

Draco smirked with delight at this. "That's right, Weasley. Wouldn't want to get Daddy dearest in trouble right? Merlin knows your family needs the money." He laughed as the Weasley kids walked away, the oldest pulling Ron away by the shirt, making sure that he wouldn't cause any trouble. **_"_** ** _Bouquet de traîtres de sang." (F)_** (Bunch of blood traitors.) The blonde mumbled before they both went back to the task at hand, gathering the necessary school books.

After a while, the two finally got all the books they needed and a few extra for some extracurricular reading. Using the featherweight charm, the two carried their purchases towards the front of the store to pay. Honestly, they could have performed a spell to have the books flat behind them but, being that Dumbledore groupies are everywhere, Diana thought it was best to not draw too much attention to themselves by doing magic a first year shouldn't be able to do.

Diana and Draco moved to stand in line which happened to be behind the Weasleys and a girl with frizzy brown hair who happened to be in a middle of a heated argument with Ronald. "Shut up, you stupid bitch! No one asked for your opinion, mudblood!" Witches and wizard who were standing in line gasped when they heard the little redhead spew out those words. The girl with the brown hair tilts her head to the side like she found those words peculiar, those brown eyes void of any emotions.

"Did your mother ever teach you not to call people such horrible words? I was only stating the truth." The girl said with such a cold tone, it could freeze the entire store. Suddenly, the brown-haired girl pulled out her wand from her pant pocket and calmly said the jelly-leg hex. Ronald fell to the floor with a yelp immediately after he attempted to step towards the brown-haired girl. "By the way," The girl said as she stepped towards the redhead. "I'm not a muggle-born."

Diana felt a smirk play on her lips. This girl could be a good asset to the organization. Plus, she knew that they would get along. The brown-haired girl then proceeded to step over the redhead and paid for her books, ignoring the fact that the teller behind the counter was staring at her in shock as well as the people behind her. The Weasley scrambled to get the youngest off the floor while they stared at her retreating back as she left the store. **_"_** ** _Allez, Draco. Allons après elle." (F)_** (Come on, Draco. Let's go after her.)

Diana said, keeping in mind of what direction the girl went off to as they cut in front of the Weasleys since they weren't moving and the two needed to leave in order to meet up with Aunt Valentina. Draco raised an eyebrow at this as the teller placed their purchases in bags and smirked as a thought raced through his mind. **_"_** ** _Elle est intéressante." (F)_** (She's an interesting one.) They retrieved the purchases that the teller graciously shrunk for them and left the store in the direction of where the girl went. They dodged around wizards and witches until they saw her sitting on a wooden bench on the corner leading into the Knockturn Alley, reading one of her books.

Diana casually sat down on the bench, leaving some space between, while Draco stood close by in a casual pose. "That was a nice display of magic back there." She stated lightly, occasionally looking over at the girl through her peripheral vision. She saw the girl smirk even though the brunette kept attention at her book. "Why, thank you. He was starting to annoy me." She said with shrug of her shoulders. Diana heard Draco chuckled at her comment. "Being around Weasley can do that to you."The girl snorted softly at his comment while she marked her place in the book with a bookmark before she turned to look at Diana.

"You're Diana Riddle, aren't you?" Diana's widened slightly at that. How did she know who she was? As far as she knew, information about Diana wasn't in any of the books. Except for the ones about Diana Potter, most likely written by one of Dumbledore supporters. Diana instinctively reached for her wand that was stored in the sleeve of her robe but didn't pull it out, her emerald eyes narrowed at the girl next to her. "How do you know who I am? Who sent you?" She asked, her voice calm but icy. Draco noticed this and stood at the ready, his cobalt eyes quickly scanning the constant parade of people for anyone acting suspiciously.

The girl raised an eyebrow at this and slowly reached into a tattered looking shoulder bag that Diana nor Draco really noticed when they encountered her in the bookstore. "This book." She simply stated as she pulled out a worn out book titled _Influential Dark Wizards and Witches of the Ages_ written across the cover in gold cursive lettering. "They were talking about your father, Tom Riddle, in one of the chapters and they even showed a family picture." She stated as she opened the book to the particular page. "See for yourself." She said as she passed it to Diana, feeling Draco look over her shoulder to see. Indeed, a picture of her family was in there, smiling at the camera. To the outside, they looked like the perfect family, not knowing that they were deep in the Dark Arts then they appeared.

Diana simply shut the book with a snap and passed it back to the girl. You would think she would be angry or annoyed that she had been revealed but she wasn't, surprisingly. "I'm surprised that you have this book. Most people don't both to read this kind of book." The girl raises an eyebrow once again and Draco decided to answer. "No offense, but you don't exactly look like the 'dark' type." It was the girl's turn to smirk. "Oh, you'll be surprised." The girl then pointed down the road, seemingly at nothing particular. "Do you see that batty woman down there with the floral bring dress?"

Diana looked down the direction she was pointing at to see an old woman who was slightly hunched over and wringing her hands like she was nervous about something, her eyes darting back and forth when someone walked passed her. "What about her?" Draco implored, having sat down next to Diana once his legs ached from standing in one position for too long. "That's Mrs. Chadwick. She was the one who came to see me at the orphanage in Heathgate, Hampstead about a week ago to tell me I'm a witch. She said someone named Dumbledore was the one how put me there and sent her to meet me. Do you know who that is?" Diana bit back a snarl from hearing the old man's name but reigned it back. "Yeah. I've heard about him most of my life."

"You live in an orphanage?" Draco asked with a slight frown with confusion. "We just got our Hogwarts letters about a week ago. That means that you couldn't have known about your heritage for too long. How were you able to perform that spell back in the store?" Diana finally caught on to what he was saying and realized Draco was right. The jelly-leg hex back there wasn't something that can be caught on quickly, especially if you just found out you have magic blood and you have to grow accustomed to holding a wand.

The girl gave a chilling smirk while she had this slight far-off look in her eyes. "I've always known I was different than the other kids. My short bursts of magic always scared them but they always seemed to come back, like flies in a venus flytrap. All the kids in the orphanage can be _so_ annoying. Nothing a flick of my wand can't handle when the owner isn't looking." Diana had an equally evil smirk on her face as Draco chuckled. She was liking this girl already. The girl looked down at the watch around her wrist and sighed dramatically. "I should probably head back to the orphanage. I have to practice more on my spells."

Diana laughed as she and Draco stood up with her. "Then I'll see you on the platform on September 1st?" The girl nodded once she gathered all her book in the crook of her arm and started to walk off when she stopped walking as if she had forgotten something and turned a little to look at them. "Oh, by the way, I'm Hermione. Hermione Granger." Diana tilted her head a little in a bow. "I'm Diana and this is Draco Malfoy." She stated as she motioned towards the blonde male next to her. Hermione tilted her head in the same fashion, a smile playing with her lips. "A pleasure to meet you both. I best be going now." With a final tilt of their head, Hermione disappeared through the crowd with Mrs. Chadwick following close behind her.

"Come on, we better hurry. Aunt Valentina is waiting for us." Draco said once he looked down at the pocket watch he had received from his parents for Christmas. Diana had almost forgotten about that. "Yeah." She said and they made their way to Madame Malkin's to see Valentina was waiting for them outside. **" _YA nachinal dumat', chto vy oba poteryalis'." (R)_** (I was beginning to think that both of you have gotten lost.) The two mumbled an apology to the woman even though she looked more amused than annoyed. **_"_** ** _K_ _ **to-to** interesnyy privlek moye vnimaniye, i ya dolzhen byl predstat' pered ney." (R) _**(Someone interesting came to my attention and I had to introduce myself to her.)

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Pettigrew, take this insufferable piece of crap down to the dungeons," Christopher said coldly with a wave of his hand as a squeak from a greasy quivering male standing next to the magically enlarged throne chair. "Y-Yes my Lord." He stammered as he made his way over to the shaking figure lying huddled on the ground in a fetal position. Pettigrew grabbed their arm and hoisted them up on his feet before staggering out of the chambers from the weight. The death eater that had been assembled kept their eyes down to the floor while facing the front of the room. Diana sneered silently at the weak male. She never liked him. Neither did Christopher.

A cloaked figure stepped out from the assembled death eaters and moved towards the throne chair, stopping on a few feet away and got down on their knees. "My lord, my lady, please let me punish him. Let me teach him a lesson for displeasing you both so." A female voice rang out the chamber. Christopher's eyes looked amused upon his stoic face. He made a sweeping motion with his hand. "Do as you wish, Bellatrix. We won't doubt your abilities." The figure bowed dramatically while thinking him excessively before quickly standing up and walked off.

"My lord," Lucius said softly as he stepped in stand closer to the throne chair once Bellatrix left the chambers. "What is it, Lucius?" Christopher said, tilting his the slightest towards the older blonde male. Instead of saying it out loud, Lucius leaned closer to whisper in his ear. Christopher silently nodded and Lucius stepped back into his original position. The young lord remained silent for a few seconds longer, his icy light blue eyes carefully scanning the masked individuals that were standing in front of him.

"Looks like you gentlemen are going to have a reprieve from my sister and me for a while." Soft murmuring went around but no one dared to cheer even the slightest bit. "But no worries, we'll be putting Lucius in charge." The masked figures grumbled slightly at this. When Lucius was appointed the temporary leader position, the blonde male takes his position very seriously and that meant no slacking off for many of them.

Diana laughed softly, but really, it sounded really chilling from the echo the chamber makes. "Oh don't think, we won't know what happens around here when we are gone. Lucius will relay us everything daily. There are many of you that have been slacking off. We'll be keeping tabs on you while we are away." The masked individuals said in unison. "Yes, my Lady."

September

Platform 9 3/4 was filled to the brim with students and parents. "Stay out of trouble ok?" Christopher said as he and Diana shared a brief hug, kissing the top of her head. "You too." She mumbled against his shirt before stepping back to let him leave. "You still have the necklace I gave you?" He asked and she instinctively reached for it hidden under her shirt. "Good. I'll contact you often." He said. Valentina gave her a tight hug. "Remember to send us letters. Your father would like to know what is happening during school." She nodded to her request, knowing that the woman won't let up until she did. Christopher left with Valentina while Stepan stayed behind just in time to see the Malfoys apparated onto the platform.

"Hello Draco," Diana said after a brief hello to Lucius and Narcissa. The adults quietly conversed to themselves as Draco asked while their school trunks were whisked away into the train by their family house elves. "Has Hermione arrived yet?" Diana shook her head as she scanned to bustling crowd. "Not yet but I'm sure she will come." Just then, a girl with wild brown hair stepped out from the invisible barrier into the platform. Hermione paused a little bit to look around, sees them and walks over. "Hello, Diana. Draco." She said with a tilt of her head to them.

"Had fun practicing on the other orphan kids?" Diana asked with a smirk. The brunette had an evil smirk on her face. "Of course. I couldn't let my skills go to waste now, would we?" The two chuckled at this when Lucius and Stepan walked over. "Who is your new friend, _**molodoy**_?" Stepan asked as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "This is the girl I told you about, uncle. Draco and I met her in Diagon Alley when we went to buy for our school books."

Stepan's eyes lit up a little when he remembered something. "Ah yes, Diana has told me all about you. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. It's rare for Diana to make a friend in such a short time. I hope you both get sorted into the same house." He said as he took the girl's hand and placed a gentle kiss on the back of her hand. Hermione blushed at that as the train blew it's horn, shooting a puff of steam towards the ceiling. "You three best be getting on the train," Stepan said as students made their way to board the Hogwarts Express. Diana gave the man acting as her surrogate father a tight hug before the three of them climbed on board.

"Let's head to the back. No one will bother us there." Draco said as they struggled to get through the narrow walkway filled with other students struggling to find seats. Finally, they managed to get to the back of the train and got situated in an empty compartment. The three sat in the seats, relaying to Hermione how the rest of their summer went. Their conversation was interrupted when the sliding door to the compartment slides open to have Blaise, Pansy and Daphne stepped in, filling the compartment a little more. Draco and Diana introduced Hermione to the three newcomers and soon everyone was talking with each other.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

The Hogwarts Express arrives at the Hogsmeade Station and the sky had turned dark about an hour or so. The students had changed into their school robes and filed out of the train. Over the sound of excited students chattering with each other on the cobblestone platform, was a loud voice belonging to a giant man holding a hand-held lantern. "Firs' years follow me!" Diana sighed in an annoyed tone when she heard that voice. "Don't tell me it's that half-giant." Draco and the other's nodded, surprisingly, Hermione had a disgusted look on her face when they got close enough to see what he was wearing. "Kill me now." Diana groaned while the others snickered at her from behind.

Diana looked drastically different from when she stepped into the Hogwarts Express. She had changed her appearance moments before the train entered the station via magic. She still had her long black hair but her facial structure had changed to be a combination of Valentina's and Stepan's, her eyes was a chocolate brown rather than their regular emerald green and flecks of red. Hermione had asked why she had changed her appeared and she told the brunette that she would tell her later. Hermione seemed reluctant to let this go but she eventually did.

The half-giant guided them to a large lake where numerous small boats laid waiting. "Alrigh' yer lot! Climb into these boats here and they will take you inside." He said, motioning towards those rickety boats. "Why the hell are we going in there?!" A familiar voice rang out from the crowd of first years. "Scared Weasley?" Draco taunted as said redhead stepped through the crowd. "Shut the fuck up, Malloy!" Weasley's face turned bright red. "My, you kiss your mother with that mouth?" Diana said silkily. Weasley looked like he was going to charge at them when the half-giant decided to cut in. "Alrigh' alrigh', that's enough ya three."

The first years got into the boats and was pulled towards the shore by seemingly nothing. They were lead up the stone steps into the castle which they were met with a stern looking woman with glasses. "Welcome to Hogwarts.I'm Professor McGonagall and I'm the deputy headmistress as well as the Transfiguration professor here. Please follow me." She said in a firm voice and stiffly lead then through the corridors until they stopped in front of two large doors. "Stay here until I come back." She said sternly, her eyes looking at the students as a warning before walking through the two doors. Some of the first years tried to peek a look into the room through the narrow opening she had just walked through but the door closed too quickly for them to see anything.

McGonagall came back and lead us into what looked like the dining hall filled with students and the other teachers. Rather than gaze at everything in amazement, Diana looked over at the grand table to see Severus and that insufferable old coot, Dumbledore. He was smiling with gleaming eyes at the students like a doting grandfather, making Diana narrow her eyes. A peculiar sight was a professor wearing a turban was practically shaking in his bones, wringing his hands as if he had a nervous tick. They came to stop towards the front of the Great Hall where stood a stool and a ratty old hat with the staff table behind it. "When I call your name, come up to the chair and I'll put the Sorting Hat on top of your head," McGonagall said as she produced a roll of parchment from her robes and unrolled it. "Hannah Abbot!" A girl with dark brown hair nervously stepped up to the deputy headmistress and sat down on the stool while the professor placed the Sorting Hat on her head.

Numerous students stepped up to the Sorting Hat as their name was called. Hermione was placed into Slytherin, catching Dumbledore by surprise by the slight frown on his aging face which quickly went away before anyone could see, and Draco was placed in the same house which was expected. More names were called out until finally Diana's name was called. "Natalya Ivankov." Diana had a stoic expression as she stepped up to the Sorting Hat, her head tilted up as she sat on the stool. The raggedy old hat was placed on her head, obscuring her eyes from how wide it was. _**Aahhh...Ms. Riddle...It's a pleasure to finally meet you...I see. You are very much like your father. Smart...cunning...and driven...I don't usually give advice to students but, you are an exception. Be aware. Dumbledore is more ingrained in everything then you think...SLYTHERIN!**_

The hat was pulled off of her head and hopped off the stool to see the professors clapping politely with the students while the Slytherins table was the most boisterous, Dumbledore has a kind smile on his face while Severus looked smug if you knew the man as long as she did. Diana made her way over to her housemates and sat down next to Hermione and Draco. "Natalya?" The brunette asked, her eyebrow raised. Diana didn't feel the slightest bit sorry and shrugged her shoulder. "Sorry for not telling you. It must have slipped my mind." Hermione just rolled her eyes and Diana took a few minutes to whisper what their plan into her ear.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Are you sure Granger needs to know our plans?" Draco asked as the Slytherin first years got settled in the Slytherin common room. "Why not? Has she not be proven trustful to our cause?" Diana asked, keeping their voices low so others couldn't overhear. "She hasn't. What if Dumbledore has already gotten to her and she is working for the light?" Draco stated, his worry understandable but Diana rolled her eyes at this. Said brunette was in their shared dorm with Pansy and Daphne. " I understand your concern, Draco but really, Dumbledore doesn't know who I am nor does know whos in charge of the Death Eaters in place of Father. It's very unlikely that he sent Hermione to spy on us." The blonde shrugged his shoulder and yawned. "As you wish, Diana. I'm going to sleep now. See you in the morning."

Diana nodded and decided to stay in the common area for a bit to enjoy the fire and solace a little bit longer. "You're not going to sleep?" A familiar silky voice came from behind her after a while. "No. Besides, you said you wanted to talk to me once the staff meeting was over." She said with a raised eyebrow at the potion master. Severus scoffs and moves to sit down in the armchair across from her. "I should have told you before you left for the Hogwarts Express but you father is sharing a body with Professor Quirrell."

"You mean the professor that looks like he's suffering from withdrawal symptoms to a potion?" Diana inquired. Severus's top lip quivered as he refrained from laughing. "Yes. That one. If you want to talk to your father, all you need to do is let Quirrell know. Just make sure you are alone." Diana rolled her eyes and nods. "I know, I know." Severus ruffled her hair, much to her distress before standing up to leave. "You best get to bed, Diana. You have a busy day tomorrow. " Diana nodded as she stood up. "Yes, sir." She watched the man leave the Slytherin dorm before she too left for her own dorm. She silently walked in to see her three roommates had gone to sleep, their bed curtains closed shut. She silently changed into her sleepwear and slipped under her bed covers. The last thing she remembered was thinking about how their plan would proceed after this. It can't be too fast or too slow.


	3. Chapter Three

[A/N: To those who commented on the last chapter, thank you~ To those who favorite or follow on the last chapter, thank you~ I'm glad that so many of you like my story so far~ As always, please read, comment and subscribe for more updates~ Don't worry,, I'll still be doing 'Love's Journey, but ideas for this story was coming faster, so please expect more of these chapters in the future. I don't know French or Russian so I use Google Translate. If you see any of the translation that seems off, please let me know~. Now off to the new chapter~]

[A/N: Also, has any drarry shippers ever got this?

Purrs Fragrantly I Did (anagram)  
Harry flicked his wand & sliced off Draco's cock. Another two flicks the slimly todger was transfigured into a string of sausages - and then propelled up Malfoy's leaking butthole, to disappear completely.  
"That's the ONLY way I'm ever gonna stick anything up YOUR arse!" Harry shouted, Punching him. Dobby cackled with glee & brought the club down on his whimpering former Master's head again & again. "That's the way to do it!" he exclaimed maniacally.  
Forty years later a disheveled Malfoy finally managed to obliviate every stupid fanfiction drarry reader on the planet and could commit cowardly suicide in peace.  
( as most of said readers are too thick to work it out themselves, the anagram was of course: stupid drarry fangirl. Only two out of nineteen deluded complainers got it. Just goes to show average drarry shipper's IQ I guess )

I got this after I posted the second chapter and I'm confused. Whats wrong with Drarry fans? Someone please also comment below if you have an answer for me

Chapter 3

Diana's felt heavy as she slowly ate her breakfast in the Great Hall with her housemates. Students from other houses were barely keeping their eyes open, some almost face-planting into their plate of food. Halfway through the meal, the head-of-house passed around the individual schedules. Diana heard Draco scowl next to her as he looked at his schedule. "Damn it. We have Potions with the Gryffindors in the morning." Hermione had a sour look on her face. "Lovely." The others seemed to agree with her and none of them looked forward to being in the same classroom as the house of lions. Daphne scoffed as she looked over at the Gryffindor table and then to the staff table. "Gryffindors always wear their emotions on their sleeves. The class just got more entertaining."

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death—if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach." Severus said in a silky voice as he walked up and down the rows of desks, his robes flapping behind him like a bat's wings with every step.

"Mr. Weasley! What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Severus said, stopping suddenly in front of the redhead's desk, his robe flapping dramatically when he quickly turned around to face Weasley. The redhead's face had a blank look from the sudden question and sat there with his mouth slightly open, looking very much like a fish out of the water. "Uhm..." Those sitting close to him were either too scared to help Weasley or didn't know the answer either. Severus sneered at this and began walking in between the rows of desks again. "My my, Mr. Weasley. I thought you would be smarter than that and opened your book before the start of the school year. Ten points from Gryffindor for your impudence."

The Slytherins snickered at this, causing Weasley's face to turn bright red and scowled angrily at them. "Ms. Ivanov, what is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?" Diana sat up straight in her chair as she replied. "They are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite." Severus looked satisfied with that answer and nods his head. "Very good, Ms. Ivanov. 10 points to Slytherin. Ms. Granger, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Hermione cleared her throat before she answered. "Asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful, it is known as the Draught of Living Death." Severus nodded at the answer. "Nicely put, Ms. Granger. Another 10 points to Slytherin." The Gryffindors glared at the Slytherins for taking the points as Severus wrote down on the chalkboard the potion they were going to make. The Slytherins didn't seem to mind this glares and in turn, flashed them a smug look which only irritated them more.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"What class do we have next?" Diana asked as Severus let the class go. "Transfiguration," Draco stated as the group walked together down the corridor. "Who would have thought Weasley's face would turn that red." Pansy cackled with amusement and the rest jeered at what happened during class. "You think it's funny doing you, _Parkinson_?" Weasley growled as he stepped up to the group with two others, whose name were if Diana remembered correctly was Dean and Seamus, as they came to a stop. "I don't see you doing any better, pug face." Weasley sneered while the other two snickered, thinking that was a good nickname for Pansy.

"Don't blame us for your stupidity, Weasley," Draco said softly but his voice had an underlying feeling of anger. Daphne and Hermione stood around Pansy to make sure she was alright. "What did you expect, Draco? With a poor family like that, I'm amazed he even got food at all." Diana said with indifference. "Crabbe, Goyle?" She said and the two hulking guys gave her a curt nod. They snickered as they both slowly walked over to the three Gryffindors as they started to roll their sleeves up, their hulking stature and thick build gave them a menacing look. "Come on. We best get going." Diana stated and the rest followed after her just as the Gryffindors ran away, almost peeing themselves from fright.

The group managed to get to the Transfiguration classroom with ten minutes to spare. Instead of seeing the stern looking Professor standing there, a cat was sitting on the desk as they sat in their seats. The double doors to the classroom closed themselves once it was time for class to start, yet the professor was still not there. A few minutes later, the doors swung open as Weasley and his two cronies came walking in. "Whew, good thing Professor McGonagall isn't here yet," Weasley said. The Slytherins snickered at the shocked look their faces when the cat leaped off the desk to transform into Professor McGonagall. Diana knew something was weird about the car. What cat sits so still on the desk and not meow?

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

The last class of the day was Defence Against the Dark Arts with the Gryffindors again. Professor Quirrell was a stuttering mess throughout the entire class, causing the Gryffindors to laugh whenever he dropped the piece of chalk and had to bend down to pick it up. **_"_** ** _Je vous verrai dans la salle commune." (F)_** (I'll see you guys in the common room.) She said as the class packed up to leave. The others silently nodded and moved with the rest of the class as she stepped up to Professor Quirrell's desk. "Y-Yes M-Ms. Ivano-ov?" Quirrell stuttered just as the door to the classroom closed shut.

"I'm sorry, my lady. I hope my stuttering isn't cumbersome to you. I had to play the part." Quirrell said, the stuttering nonexistent as his demeanor completely changed. Diana smirked as she waved away his concern. "It's alright. You are playing your part well." She stated. "Thank you, My Lady. What can I help you with?" He asked. "I would like to see my father." She asked, her eyes holding an underlying meaning to her words. Quirrell was silent for a few minutes before nodding. "Very well, My Lady." He stood up and turned around to have his back facing her. With his wand, he slowly started unraveling the purple turban around his head.

Diana wasn't sure what she was expecting when she saw the back of Quirrell's head. The only time she has ever seen her father's face was in the photos Aunt Valentina and Uncle Stepan showed her and her brother. The face she was looking at wasn't her father's face. It was wrinkly and pale looking. The only thing that told her this man was her father was his blue eyes flecked with red. "Father..." She whispered. Tom's face contorted a little with sadness. "You've grown. You look so much like Lily." He said with a horace voice like he hadn't talked for days. For next couple minutes, they talked about how he was doing and how his kids were doing. "What are you doing here in Hogwarts anyway, Father?" Diana asked, finally getting to the question she was curious about.

Tom sighed softly, a slight frown marred his face. "I'm looking for something I need, something important." He said. "What is it?" Diana asked, wondering what this 'thing' was. "A stone. Severus is doing some research and is relaying any information he finds about this stone to me. Once I have sufficient information, I'll let you know." Diana pouted at this, causing Tom to laugh. She reminded him so much of Lily. "Now I suggest you head back to your housemates. I'm sure they are getting anxious." He said softly. Diana sighed heavily and reluctantly nodded.

"Yes, Father." Quirrell then raised his wand and with a sharp flick of his wrist, the purple strip of fabric quickly wounds around his head into the turban again before turned back around to face her. "You best get going, My Lady. I'll let you know when your father wants to talk to you." He said. Diana gave a curt nod and quickly left the classroom to head to see that the corridor was filled with students heading down to the Great Hall for dinner. GUess they had talk longer then she thought. "Diana!" Pansy called out as the group walked up to her. "We were beginning to think you have gotten lost when you didn't come back to the dorm."

Diana snorts at this, shaking her head as her book bag disappeared from her hand, most likely in her dorm room now. "Let's go." She said and they all walked into the Great Hall together.

Thursday

"Mr. Weasley, I suggest you keep your eyes on your own potion. I don't tolerate cauldrons exploding in my classroom." Severus said coldly as he walked through the rows of desks as he inspected the progress of the potion they were brewing today. Weasley sent glares at Severus' back before looking down at his potion which was clearly the wrong color. **_"_** ** _Si seulement Severus avait vu ce regard. Je me demande ce qu'il aurait fait." (F)_** (If only Severus had seen that look. I wonder what he would have done.) Daphne said while still keeping her eyes on her cauldron. **_"_** ** _Weasley ne serait même pas debout quand il verrait le regard qu'il reçoit en retour." (F)_** (Weasley wouldn't even be standing when he sees the glare he gets in return.) The group fought back from smirking as they kept their eyes on their cauldron, none of them noticing Severus was doing the same.

Weasley had looked up when he heard his name among the French words being spoken. His eyes narrowed when he noticed he wouldn't understand what the Slytherins were saying. **_"Tu_** ** _ferais mieux de ne pas révéler mes secrets." (F)_** (You lot better not be revealing my secrets.) The group smirked slightly. **_"_** ** _Bien sûr que non, Professeur. Nous n'en rêverions pas." (F)_** (Of course not, Professor. We wouldn't dream of it.) Diana said with a fake innocent voice. The group settled down and concentrated on finishing the potion. Severus went around the classroom one last time to see their finishing product. He would mutter words of approval to those who did well and sneer at those who failed. He only gave the Slytherins a satisfied look when he arrived at their side of the classroom.

When he arrived at Diana's desk, he gave her a slight smile before slipping a piece of parchment paper to her which was barely noticed by the rest of the class. She fisted the paper in her hand and hid it in her robe pocket. She'll read it once she was out of the classroom."Very good. I want you to fill a vial of your final product and place it on my desk before you go. Class dismissed." The class moved to do as he asked. Diana slipped out of the classroom once she was done and read the note as she waited for the rest to come out.

The note quickly disintegrated in her hand once she was done reading it, just in time as the others stepped out of the classroom. "What did the letter say?" Draco asked Diana in a low voice as the group walked together to their next class. Trust him to be the only one would notice these things. "I'll tell you later." She said in the same low voice. He silently nodded.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Come in." Diana heard Severus' muffled voice from behind the door. She stepped into the classroom and shut the door behind her. "Punctual as always, Diana," Severus said smoothly from behind his desk, not even looking up from the essays he was grading. "Have a seat." He stated and she sat down in the offered chair in front of the desk. Diana was silent for a minute, patiently waiting as he made a few scratches on the essay with his quill before putting it off to the side, giving her his full attention. "You must be wondering why I called you here."

Diana shrugged her shoulder, a grin playing with her lips. "I am, but I've learned for a while not to ask since you'll be answering that question right about now." Severus scoffs as a house elf popped into the room holding a tray with two steaming cups of tea, served them their drinks and popped away. "Cheeky brat." Diana snickered at his response, taking the dainty cup in her hand and gently blew on the liquid to let it cool down a little. "I called you here because I got some information about the stone your father most likely mentioned to you."

Diana stayed silent as she took a small sip out of her cup. Severus took this as a sign for him to continue, which he did. "Have you heard of the alchemist Nicholas Flamel? Rumors had it, he made a stone called the philosopher's stone which has the power to turn any metal into pure gold. This stone can be used to make the Elixir of Life. Your father thinks that this stone will help him gain his body back and he suspects that the stone is here in this school." Diana placed her cup back down on the desk and crossed her legs together while leaning back in the chair, a frown on her face. "You say that this stone is just rumors, what makes Father so sure that the stone is here? Why would Dumbledore hide the stone in his school?"

Severus chuckled softly and leaned back in his chair as well, placing his folded hands on his belly. "Hogwarts is as protected as Gringotts. What a perfect place to hide something as important as the stone in the school without being detected. Your father thinks Dumbledore is going to use the stone for personal gain. What that is, he isn't sure." Diana nodded, many questions left unanswered. "What will be your next step?" She asked. "I'll be doing more research, but with your father's fragile health on top of making potions, new information will be slower," Severus stated, looking slightly pale and tired. Diana nodded in understanding. "Very well. Let me know what you come up with." She excused herself from the room and left towards the Slytherin common room.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Are you sure your father should be making such a high risk by coming here?" Blaise inquired, those sitting on the couches in front of the roaring fireplace in the Slytherin common room were thinking the same thing. The other occupants of the house took their leave to their dorm rooms even though it was still a little early. "Dumbledore would be on to us soon," Daphne added, her forefinger playing with a strand of her long golden hair. Diana stared into the burning embers of the fire, her fingers lightly caressing the armrest of the couch, seemingly not hearing what the others were saying. "How do you want to proceed next, Diana?" Draco muttered softly.

Diana continued to keep her eyes on the fire, sighing softly with deep thought. "Severus is already overwhelmed with gathering more information and brewing potions to help my father regain his strength...we'll need to do our own research about this philosopher's stone and this Nicholas Flamel." The others nodded. Purebloods had an extended library and had numerous old books. Hermione vouched to break into the restricted section of the library since that was where all the interesting books were stored.

Friday

Its been two weeks since the start of the start of the school year, and already, Diana was annoyed with the Gryffindors, especially one named Ronald Weasley and she wanted to kill him. "What are you looking at, Ivanov?" Weasley snared. They were in Defense Against the Dark Arts and they had begun learning simple spells and had paired up to practice on each other. The class had moved to the Great Hall to practice, leaving enough room between each pair. Thankfully, Diana was paired with Draco and not Weasley or else she really would have gone nuts. For the tenth time, the redhead's spell had gone rogue and ended up bouncing off the walls and almost hitting students, much to Professor Quirrell's dismay, before cracking against the wall and disappearing.

Diana's eyes narrowed slightly as the other students continue to practice the spell. "Oh, nothing. Just imagining how _stupid_ you must be in order to not even aim correctly but also not even performing the spell correctly." She said coldly. Weasley's face turned red as he took a step towards her, making a failed attempt to look menacing as Draco moved to stand next to her, ready to step in front of her if need be. "Shut your trap, Ivanov. No one asked for your opinion." He hissed, gripping his wand tightly in his hand.

"So defensive, Weasley." She said mockingly, tutting as she turned around to go somewhere else, motioning for Draco to follow her. Weasley snarled and lifted his wand in an attacking motion, clearly wanting to shoot a spell at Diana when Draco quickly turned around and shouted "Wingardium Leviosa!", suddenly causing Weasley's leg to shoot up towards the sky, the redhead dangling upside down like there was an invisible string attached to his leg. "Tsk tsk, Weasley. Have your parents ever teach you to never attack a lady?" Draco sneered, glaring up at the dangling redhead while Diana stood a little bit off to the side, satisfied with the view.

"M-Mr. Malfoy, c-could you please let Mr. Weas-sley down?" Professor Quirrell stammered once he stepped through the students that had gathered around to see the up-side-down Weasley. The blonde gave the professor a side look before doing as he was told, letting him down to his feet, dropping him haphazardly at the last minute. "Weasley was going to attack Diana, sir. I was only doing what is best to protect her." Draco stated simply, ignoring the blazing glares from Weasley when he struggled to get back on his feet. Weasley's face turned into a delighted smirk when Professor Quirrell nodded, seemingly agreeing. But with who?

"Twenty points from Gryffindor for attacking another student." Professor Quirrell said sternly, much to Weasley's dismay. "I'll be sending your mother a letter later about this incident and I'll be telling your head of house." He said, all traces of stuttering completely gone only for a moment before it came back like he had built up the courage to say just that.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Nicholas Flamel..." Diana mumbled to herself for seemed like the hundredth time as she wandered the corridors. _Where have I heard that name before?_ She thought, her hand running through her long dark hair. She was in the midst of getting info about the elusive alchemist in the library when she remembered that she had read about him somewhere a couple of years ago and only now did she realize this. She was getting frustrated that nothing important has come up so far. She rounded the corner when she noticed a 5th year Ravenclaw walking with her dog strolling next to her.

Diana kept her face neutral as they walked past each other, neither paying much attention to each other. The dog suddenly stopped, it's nose to the floor and started walking around in a circle, loudly sniffing. "What the...Candy, come on girl. we need to head back to the dorm." The fifth-year Ravenclaw said. When the dog didn't move, the fifth year marched over, grabbing the dog's collar and gently pulls on it to coax it to move. But whatever caught the dog senses, it wouldn't move from the spot. "Candy!" The fifth-year eventually yelled, wanting to go back to the comfort of her dorm room already.

The dog eventually moved away from the spot but ended up whimpering as he was being led away, it's tail between its legs. _Interesting..._ Diana thought as she looked over at the spot the dog was reluctant to leave. _Animals were always sensitive to magic or any magical objects. Muggles would think that the animals had smelled something and was looking at something interesting...Could it be?_ She stared at the spot as the gears in her head started moving. Diana ran back the way she came towards the Slytherin common room. "Draco don't send your letter yet!" Diana said quickly once she walked through the portrait portal.

The blond raised an eyebrow at this when he stopped just minutes from tying the parchment to the bird's leg. "What is it?" Diana didn't respond to the question right away as she quickly wrote on a piece of parchment paper. It was only a few sentences, but that was enough for the destination the letter was going to go. She sealed the letter shut and gave the letter to Draco for him to tie with his. "I have a theory but I need Prometheus to test it out." Draco raised a pale eyebrow at this but knew not to question just yet.

Saturday

"Are you sure about this?" Severus asked, his eyebrows knitted together as he looked across his desk to Diana. "It's just a theory. I'll know more when Prometheus arrives." She simply stated. Severus was not liking this at all. "You do realize that if Dumbledore hears that a student has brought a snake to school, he'll be suspicious," Diana smirked. "Then I'll just have to lie to him. He wouldn't know that I'm a Parseltongue." Severus sighed. She did have a point. But this plan was still risky. "Valentina and Stepan are in Russia on business, so you'll have to wait for Prometheus to arrive," Severus said smoothly.

Thursday

"Draco, I'll be fine. Just keep watch!" Diana whispered loudly, rolling her eyes for what felt like the hundredth time. Said blonde just rolled his eyes and turned to face down the corridor. "Yeah yeah. Just hurry up before crazy Filch comes here." He said with the same loud whisper. Diana stuck her hand in her robe pocket to pull out Prometheus. **"Where are we, Mistress?"** The snake hissed out, it's pink forked tongue stuck out briefly. **"We're in a corridor."** She said as she placed the snake down on the carpeted floor. **"I want you to smell for a magical artifact that's in this school."** She tells Prometheus. The small snake bobbed its head before slithering across the floor.

Diana stood off to the side to give the small snake some space. It took a few minutes before Prometheus stopped moving and hissed towards her. **"It's here,"** Prometheus said. **"It's in a hidden room underneath the school. Mistress will have to do a lot of tasks."** He said. Diana thanked him and stowed him back in her robe pocket. "What did he say?" Draco asked, still keeping an eye out for Filch or Mrs. Norris. Diana repeated what Prometheus told her to the blonde. "Good. We just need to figure out how to gain access to the hidden room."

Halloween

Diana was surprisingly feeling fine, despite knowing what the day was beside the fact it was Halloween. The others were keeping an eye on her for any changes in her mood throughout the day, much to her annoyance. The only thing the gang knew was that Diana's mother died on Halloween night but didn't know what her name was, just like the other Death Eaters. One day, the kids would know. The Great Hall was extravagantly decorated with the holiday spirit; black bats fluttering overhead, smoke rolling across the floor, Jack-o-lanterns at the ends of each table, large bowls filled with assortments of candies. Students were buzzing with excitement as they gawked at the display of sweets, their mouth practically watered. Outside, the sky was clear but the sound of the thunder and lightning didn't lessen the festive mood.

Dumbledore did his speech, making Diana and the gang cringe at how sparkling his blue eyes were behind his half-rimmed spectacles. "I hope you choke on a piece of candy, old man," Diana muttered under her breath as the Great Hall began eating the feast cooked by the house elves. The gang snorted slightly mid-bite, nearly choking on their food.

Halfway through the feast, the double doors to the Great Hall, slammed open violently as Filch, the Hogwarts caretaker, came running into the now room in a ridiculous fashion, like something was at his tail. "Troll! Troll in the dungeon!" The man yelled before fainting on the spot, his body crumpled on the floor. The hall was silent as a doornail before all hell broke loose. Students screamed with terror, getting ready to bolt it out of there. "A troll?" Hermione managed to say over the screams. "Do you think you father sent that as a form of distraction?" Diana shook her head as the professors tried to calm down the frightened students. "If my father wanted a distraction, he would have done it more discreetly. Besides, he would have sent Death Eaters, not a creature to do his bidding. Trolls are unpredictable and known to go against those they had sided with."

"Silence!" Dumbledore's voice rang out through the Great Hall, causing everyone to do just that. He placed orders for the students to follow their prefects back to the common rooms. Of course, the Slytherins still had to go back down to the dungeons. "Dumbledore is trying to kill us early," Draco said with a crude humor. The house of snakes grumbled as they were being led down to their deaths until they reached the painting of Salazar Slytherin, the Slytherin portrait portal with Severus waiting for them outside. As the students stepped into the common one by one with Severus mentally went through a roster of his students, Hermione went up to the man to get permission to go to the bathroom.

"Be careful," Diana said as the brunette walked down the dark corridor towards the bathroom on the upper level. "Don't worry." She said over her shoulder. Diana and the rest of the gang finally stepped into the common room. "You lot best start on your homework. I don't want any of you fooling around here while I'm gone." Without another glance, the potions master left the common room once again, leaving the students to their own. "Let's wait for Hermione over here," Diana said as she motioned towards the cluster of couches. The gang sat there and started on their homework.

For the next ten minutes, they worked on their homework as the others did other things. Diana took a break from her Charms essay to look down at her wristwatch. She frowned at the time. Hermione still hadn't come back from the bathroom yet. "Guys," She said, voicing her concern. "I think something happened to Hermione." The others froze on the spot, their homework completely forgotten. "Could it be the troll?" Daphne asked, concerned for the brunette written all over her face.

"Draco and I will go. The rest of you stay here." Diana commanded as she and Draco stood up from the couch. The gang nodded and they left the common room together without telling the prefects. "Do you which bathroom, Hermione went to, Draco?" Diana asked, their footsteps echoed in the corridor as they ran. "I don't know..." He said as they ran up the stair, the thought of the professors hearing them didn't cross their mind. They were about to run around a corner when they heard a scream echo down the corridor.

"Hermione," Diana said mid-breath and they both bolted towards the direction of the noise. They sat entrance to the bathroom and ran in. "Hermione!" They yelled as they rounded the corner to suddenly stop in their tracks. There was Hermione being squeezed of her life in the hands of a twelve-foot troll. The brunette was unconscious from being squeezed so hard, much to the trolls unhappiness. Without much thinking, the two jumped into action. "Hey!" Diana said as she pulled out her wand from her robe pocket while running towards the troll. The hulking creature was distracted from Hermione and growled lowly once it's beady eyes caught sight of Diana.

The troll roared, raising his unoccupied hand and slammed it down onto the floor, making the ground shake as Diana dodged the giant hand. "Expulso!" She shouted, the spell shooting to the ceiling, causing the tiles to explode and rain chunks which only caused the troll to get angrier. "Now Draco!" Diana yelled as the troll let Hermione go to try to get the dark-haired girl with both hands. Draco got into action, wiping out his wand and shot a cutting hex towards the creature but the hex didn't do much on its natural hard skin.

Diana cursed softly at this as the troll let out a low roar, nearly bringing down the ceiling on them. "Take Hermione!" She shouted, quickly leaving Hermione with him before running towards the creature again. "Sectumsempra!" She shouted loudly, a white spell hit the troll in the chest just as they heard loud footsteps running towards the bathroom. The beast roared in pain as a large deep cut from shoulder to mid abdomen appeared on its grey skin. Green blood oozed from the wound as the troll's eyes rolled to the back of its head, its large body collapsing to the floor face first just as the professors came running in.

"What is going on here?" Dumbledore asked, his blue eye immediately landing on Diana as Severus gave her a hard side look. Severus was angry for not being told. The bathroom was a complete mess. All of the sinks were broken, water sprouting out from the broken pipes to fill the tiled floor. Diana, Draco, and Hermione were soaked to the bone. "This troll was hurting our friend sir. We had to do something." Diana said tersely as Madame Pomfrey went to see if Hermione was alright.

"Yes that very well be the case, but what I would like to know is why a first year is performing such advanced magic?" The old man asked, his eyes turning to look at the troll's dead body. Professor McGonagall tutted as she gave the old man an side look. "Albus now is not the time to be asking that question. We have a more pressing matter to discuss. While I applaud their efforts, they did a reckless move." The stern looking woman said sternly. Severus choose to pop in. "I agree, Minerva. I shall talk to them separately and assign detentions." He said, gave them both a hard look but those two knew that it was fake.

Dumbledore sighed, going back to his grandfatherly appearance. "Very well, Severus. I'll let you do their detention accordingly. Once you're done, I'll like to speak to you in my office." The old man said and walked away, the rest of the staff following close behind him, leaving Severus with the two soaking wet kids as Hermione was whisked away to the Infirmary. "You two should count yourself lucky the troll didn't do anything," Severus said after letting out a heavy sigh, looking like he aged a little bit. Diana and Draco had matching grins, Severus could practically hear the evil cackling. "It's not fun, you two. Draco, your mother would have my head if she found out." Severus snapped, only making the kids snicker at his frazzled look.

The potion master sighed once again, pinching the bridge of his nose for a bit. "Alright, you two better get back to the common room. I don't want either of you to leave for the rest of the night." Draco and Diana wanted to protest that they didn't want to go back just yet but figured that by the older male's face, they had done enough for one night. "Yes, Severus." They said in unison and walked back to the common room with Severus walking close behind them.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Enter," Dumbledore said when he heard the knock on his door. The door opened and Severus stepped into the headmaster's office. "Ah, Severus. Come sit down." The old man said with a smile, motioning towards the empty seat next to Minvera. Severus obliged and sat in the offered chair. "What did you want to speak to me about, Albus?" Severus asked silkily. Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, his elbows resting on the armrest and his fingertips pressed together. "Tell me about Natalya Ivanov." He asked.

Severus raised his eyebrow, immediately getting into his role. "Miss. Ivanov? Her parents are Valentina and Stepan. Ivanovs is one of the oldest pureblood families next to the Malfoys. They have a son attending Koldovstoretz. Natalya is a bright student and is doing well in her classes so far." He stated. "It's true, Albus. Miss Ivanov is a clever student, especially in my class. Why are you asking about her?" Minerva implored, her face frowning a little. Albus frowned with concern but Severus could tell it wasn't genuine. The old man was plotting something. "I'm going send the Ivanovs a letter. I think a meeting is in order. I need to step in on Natalya's behalf."

Severus had to hold back a growl from coming from his lips, his face not breaking from their original position. "Very well, Albus. Will that be all?" The old man nodded. "Yes, that will be all Severus. Good night, my boy." The potions master gave a curt nod before leaving the headmaster's office. He had one more thing to do before he could turn in for the night. He walked into his living quarters and sat down at his desk. He dipped his quill in the ink jar and scribbled a quick note on a piece of parchment paper. Once he was done, he walked over to his owl, Cyprus and attached the note to its leg. "Send this to Stepan." The owl hooted and gave his forefinger an affectionate nip before flying off. "


	4. Chapter Four

[A/N: Thanks so much liking this story so far, guys~! I'm so happy that I can share this with all of you. I've got some comments about Drarry fanfics and I just wanted to share my opinion. What's wrong with Drarry? It's just a story, so don't get your panties in a twist. I'll put one of those comments down below. Now on to the story~ As always, please ignore the Russian or French translations if it isn't 100% correct. P.S I'm a horrible describer so bear with me. If only the website could have pictures in the chapter so you guys could see what I mean.]

[A/N: **Guest: YAWN more Drarry drivel to bore readers, Mister Swan.** First of all, why are you reading my story then if you find Drarry stories so boring?]

Chapter 4

"What are you saying Dumbledore?" Stepan asked coldly, the grip on his cane tightened as his eyes blazed with underlying anger. "What I'm mean is, Mr. Ivanov, your daughter has been performing rather advanced dark magic and I would like to know the reason why you choose to teach her at such an early age?" The old coot asked, placing his clasped hands on top of his desk, his blue eyes twinkling like crazy. Valentina placed a protective hand on Diana's shoulder and shot glares at the headmaster. "If you must know, _Headmaster_ , though I don't see how this is any of your business, Stepan and I felt that Diana need to know these spell to protect herself."

Dumbledore looked alarmed as he looked at the both of them. "My dear lady, I don't see why you would need to teach her such advanced magic. Hogwarts is a safe school. Nothing will harm her during her stay here." Diana held back a scoff at his response. _Bullshit, old man._ "Not from what our daughter has written in her letter to us. She says there have been several incidences with a certain student, named Ronald Weasley." Stepan stated in an icy tone while Dumbledore nodded his head, wanting to speak at the moment. "I'm well aware of those incidents, Mr. Ivanov. But-"

"So, you do nothing?" Stepan cut the old man off, anger clearly in his voice. "What kind of school are you running, Headmaster?" Stepan gripped his cane as he stood up, Diana and Valentina followed suit right after. "Expect to receive a letter from the Board of Government, _Headmaster_." He snarled before leaving the office without another word, the wooden door slamming shut.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Eat that, Dumbledore." Diana snickered, having too much fun as Dumbledore's reaction replayed over and over again in her mind. The adults behind her chuckled at her reaction. "Dumbledore won't stop until you have complied but there's no doubt he will be moving more cautiously," Stepan said, the sound of his cane clacked against the stone tiled floor. "Good. That will make our next plans much easier." Diana said, a devious smirk on her face. "You should head down to the common room," Stepan said. "Your friends must be waiting for you." He stated. Diana said her goodbyes. After many kisses, she finally departed for the Slytherin common room.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

Dumbledore frowned to himself as he reread the letter in his hand once again.

 _Mr. Dumbledore,_

 _My apologies for the last reply to your request. Activities in Gringotts have increased in the last few weeks and I only now, have managed to receive a bit of time to get some answer for you. In regards to the infant you are seeking information on, Diana Potter, our records show that the infant has passed away 10 years ago from health complications. Unfortunately, I have no other information to give you at this time. If you need anything else, don't hesitate to Owl Gringotts._

 _Best regards,_

 _Ragnok,  
Gringotts Wizarding Bank, Bankteller_

 _Well, this certainly is not part of the plan._ Dumbledore thought as he folded the letter back up and left it on the desk as he leaned back in his chair. He knew that Lily's sister, Petunia, was against anything that was considered 'unnatural' in Muggle standards. He was planning on having Petunia and her husband control the little Riddle brat and possibly degrade her on an emotional and psychological level. Meaning, when Diana Riddle came to school, she would gravitate towards him and would be under his thumb.

Well, that isn't an option now. A minor change of plan, really. The Dursleys just did the job for him, the job that he would have to do after Diana killed her father. There can only be one strong wizard in Wizarding London and that wizard was going to be him.

November, Friday

 ** _"_** ** _Dumbledore a été calme depuis la nuit d'Halloween." (F)_** (Dumbledore has been quiet since Halloween night.) Draco said as the gang walked through the nearly empty corridor towards their next class, Potions. They had left their previous class a late since Madam Hooch had made them stay behind to help straighten out wayward brooms. The corridor was chilly from the changing weather from fall to winter. **_"_** ** _Bien sûr. Il reste probablement un peu bas pour que le Conseil des Gouverneurs ne soit pas sur lui._** ** _." (F)_** (Of course. He is probably staying low for a bit so the Board of Governors won't be on to him.) Diana said as they walked around the corner to a couple of familiar Gryffindors harassing one of their own.

"Well, well, well. A couple of lonely lions ganging up on one of their own. Tut, tut Weasley, aren't Gryffindors supposed to be loyal and _friendly_ towards each other?" Diana said tauntingly as the gang stopped in a little ways away from Weasley and his gang. "Beat it, Ivanov. What happens between us and Neville here, doesn't concern you, you filthy snakes." Weasley snarled. Diana took the time to look down at the shaking figure huddled on the floor. _Longbottom..._ Diana thought, her eyes narrowed slightly when Longbottom looked up his housemates with pain written over his face and a few thin cuts on his face and lips.

Since the start of school, Diana learned that Longbottom's parents were permanent residents in St. Mungo's resulted from an extended time under the cruciatus curse. Common knowledge is that Bellatrix and Rodulphus were the ones who performed the curse on his parents. The thing is, Severus didn't recall hearing her father giving the order to Bellatrix and her husband. Plus, she couldn't ask her father since she hadn't had the time to speak with Quirrell. From what Diana could observe during her classes with the Gryffindors, Longbottom wasn't that talented in any of the subjects. His housemates surely didn't help with things when Longbottom was in a pinch. "My, Weasley has finally grown some balls." Malfoy sneered as the rest of the gang snickered at this. Weasley's face turned the same shade of red as his hair. "S-Shut up Malfoy! I shou-"

"What is going on here?" A silky voice appeared behind them. The Gryffindors paled at Severus' arrival while the gang just looked on with a smirk. Severus' black eyes looked down at Longbottom's huddled figure and they narrowed. "Twenty points from Gryffindor for fighting with your fellow housemate. Ms. Granger, take Mr. Longbottom to the Infirmary. For the rest of you. Get. To. Class." Severus growled. Weasley and his gang jumped into action and quickly gathered their book bags while Hermione helped Longbottom get back up on his feet. They hightailed it out of there with Severus casually walking behind them. **_"_** ** _Je te verrai en classe." (F)_** (I'll see you in class.) Hermione said as she lugged the staggering Longbottom with her.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

Diana tossed in the final ingredient, pixie wings, to her potion and gave it five stirs counterclockwise. The Slytherins were close to finishing up as well while the Gryffindors were not even close. She extinguished the fire and let her potion cool down before she leaned back in her chair to relax. Severus began walking down each aisle, inspecting the potions as he usually did. As he walked by her table, a note slides into her hand and he walked away like nothing happened.

Diana opened the note inconspicuously in her hand and quickly scanned the note. _Dumbledore has a Wizengamot board meeting tonight after dinner and will be gone from the school premises for a couple of hours. This is a perfect time for you to proceed to the next step._ Diana smirked at this and held the note in her hand. Her plan is getting into motion. She quickly slides the note towards Draco without attracting any attention, well mostly Gryffindors and lightly tapped Draco on the arm.

The blonde took his eye off his potion since he wasn't at a crucial point of the potion making and scanned the note. He silently nodded and he passed the note to the Blaise and Theodore behind them. Everyone in the gang silently read the note just in time as the bell rang and Severus dismissed them from the classroom. "What are you planning to do?" Pansy asked as they all left the classroom. "Before I sent Prometheus back home," Diana said. "He told me that there is a wooden door on the third floor that has the same signature as the stone, though it is very faint. Severus thinks that the stone most likely had passed through that door at one point." The gang nodded.

"Will you be going alone?" Theodore asked. Diana smirked and motioned towards Hermione and Draco. "These two will be coming with me." No one had any objections since Diana had mentioned that those two would be closes to her, just like Severus and Lucius were closest to Father.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Come on," Diana whispered to the two people behind her and moved away from the corner they were currently in. Hermione and Draco followed close behind her. It was a full moon, the light from the moon cast eerie shadows in the corridor. Light snoring came from the paintings hanging on the floor as they silently walked through the corridors, careful to not wake up the paintings as well as attracting the attention of Filch and his cat. After many twists and turns, they finally arrived at the wooden door.

"Are you sure this is the door Prometheus was speaking of?" Draco said as he eyed the door from head to foot. Diana nodded as she pulled out her wand from her robe pocket. "Yeah. If not, we'll have a lot to do to find the right door." Draco and Hermione gave a short nod, also pulling out their wands at the ready. "There might be a trap behind this door, so stay alert, you two." She said, placing her hand on the doorknob. Draco rolled his eyes. "Who knew you had Gryffindor sentiment, Diana." Said girl gave him a glare before whispering to the door. "Alohamora."

A faint sound of the door unlocking could be heard. Diana gave her two friends one last look before turning to face the door and swung open the door. At first, Diana could see nothing, only darkness. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the dark and at first, she couldn't figure out what she was looking at. She could see an enormous mound that seemed to go up endlessly, maybe even to the ceiling but not much detail after that. _What the hell is that?_ She thought, frowning as she stepped closer to the enormous mound. "What is that?" Draco whispered.

"I have no idea," Diana said, having already reached the giant mound, reaching her hand out to touch it, finding her fingers brushing against silky soft...fur? _Why the hell is there a huge mound of fur here?_ She leaned in closer to inspect the fur when she heard a muffled rhythmic _thump_. Diana's eyes widen when she realized the muffled thumps were coming from within the mound. She quickly stepped away from the mound. "It's alive." She whispered, catching the attention of her two companions.

"What?! Why the hell did the old coot place a live creature in here?" Hermione whispered rather loudly, almost shrieking in the dark room. "Ssshhh. Hermione, not so loud. It might hear us." Draco said in an annoyed voice. Diana was about shush the blonde as well when she saw the mound stir and something shifted in the dark. Seconds later, three giant dog heads appeared from within the shadows, a low growl coming from its jaws. "Run," Diana said softly, her heart thumping loudly in her chest.

No one needed to be told twice. The three of them bolted out of the room with a snarling, giant beast charging at them. Diana slammed the door shut behind her just in time as the beast lunged for them, it's drooling mouth snapping at them. Snarling came from the other side of the door as the three tried to catch their breath. "Why the hell is the old man hiding a Cerberus in the school?" Draco almost yelled in a whisper. "It's obvious isn't it, Draco? The old bastard wants to keep anyone from trying to get the philosopher's stone." Diana said, dusting invisible dust off her school robes. "But does he really need to go to extreme measures by placing a bloody Cerberus in there?" Hermione asked, her voice shaking with exhilaration.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

Severus looked up from his book when he heard a sharp knock at his door. _It must be Diana and the others._ He thought, placing the bookmark on the page and snapped the book shut. He walked over to the door and opened it. Immediately, Diana and her two companions came walking in, rambling about something. "Please come in," Severus said sarcastically as he closed the door shut. "Now, would you please repeat what you were rambling about?" He said as he motioned towards the sofas. Diana and her company sat down together on the couch as Severus flicked his wand to make sure the security charm around his office was still intact.

"We saw a Cerberus behind that secret door," Diana said straight away. Severus froze as he was about to sit down in the wingback chair across from them, just for a few seconds before cautiously sitting all the way down, like he was afraid there was an explosive under his chair that would detonate the moment he sat down. "Are you sure it's a Cerberus? The three of you _were_ in the dark and the shadows could be playing tricks with your eyes." Draco scowled at this. "We wouldn't lie about this, Uncle Sev." The potion master looked over at Hermione to see the brunette nodding her head upon seeing his gaze. He knew the other two wouldn't lie, especially about something like this.

"What I, us," Diana said, making a hand gesture to her and her two companions. "Would like to know is, why is there a Cerberus hidden in the school and _no one_ has a bloody clue?" Draco and Hermione silently nodded in agreement. Severus sighed softly as he crossed his leg over the other, his obsidian eyes looking at nothing particularly. "For the why, I assume it's Dumbledore's way to make sure no one gets their hands on the philosopher's stone. For the how I believe Dumbledore got the Cerberus from Hagrid." The three's eyes widen ever so slightly. "The half-giant got his hands on a Cerberus?" Diana asked, having a hard time believing the bumbling idiot could even get one. "Most likely off the black market," Severus said. "Hagrid is known for bringing back dangerous creature, especially creatures that fall under the Class A Non-Tradeable Goods category. Cerberus is one of them."

Diana was silent for a few, the pad of her thumb and forefinger rubbed together in small circles. "We'll need to find a way to get past the Cerberus." The people in the room were also silent, the sound of the wood cracking in the lit fireplace was the only thing that could be heard. "There was a flute there. It was right next to the Cerberus." Hermione stated after a bit. Severus slowly nodded, contemplating the new information. "If my speculations are true, this could be a flute that can put any beast to sleep when played. I'll need time to do some research. Your winter break is next month. We can have a better plan during that time."

November, Saturday

"Father, do you remember giving orders to Bellatrix to torture the Longbottoms?" Diana asked her father. They were chatting in Quirrell's office in the early afternoon. Voldemort's face scrunched up a little as if with concentration as he tried to remember if he did send out such orders, shaking his head. "I don't recall giving Bellatrix that order, especially to one of our own. Why?" Diana frowned at this. "One of our own? They were on our side? Aren't they a Gryffindor family?" Diana asked.

Voldemort frowned at this. "They are but about six months before their demise, they finally saw Dumbledore for what he really is. They heard about our cause and they became a part of my ranks. I made them our inside link to the Order of the Phionex. Their mission was to relay any information said during these meetings. By the time I regained consciousness, Severus told me something had happened to them." Diana saw her father changed to sorrowful look for a brief moment before he clenched his teeth. "Make sure Bellatrix gets punished."

November, Thursday

"If I joined the Quidditch team this year, I would have smoked Wood," Draco said to Diana and the rest of the gang as they stepped onto the Quidditch field for broom flying class. Diana snorts. "Not if I beat it to you first. You and I both know that I'm the fastest out of the both of us." The others snickered at the bewildered look on the blond hair boy. "Sorry mate, I have to agree with her on that," Blaise said, having an amused look on his face while shrugging his shoulders. Draco scowled at that. "Hey, what kind of friend are you?" Blaise didn't say anything except stick his tongue out at him. "Very mature, Blaise." The blonde scoffed, shaking his head a little.

"Ron, cut out! Give it back to me!" The gang looked in front of them to see Longbottom chasing after Weasley, who was holding a large marble-sized glass ball above his head. "Give it back to me." Weasley mocked in a high voice, much to the amusement of his friends. "Wow, you must _really_ be stupid if you need _this_ to remember things, Longbottom." Weasley jeered as he tossed the glass ball up in the air and catching it several times. "Quit it, Ron. My gran bought this for me, and she'll kill me if she found out I lost it." Longbottom said, almost sounding like he was begging as he tried to catch the glass ball before Weasley as it went up in the air, but the redhead was faster.

"Quit it, Ron," Weasley said in a mocking voice once again as he raised the ball above his head, out of the reach of Longbottom's outstretched arm. "My my, Weasley. Causing trouble already? I suggest you listen to Longbottom. His grandmother is a powerful woman." Diana said coldly, her hand shot out to snatch the glass ball from the redhead's hand. Weasley was caught off guard when the glass ball disappeared from his hand but she just scoffed. "That old bitch won't do anything. I'm not scared of her-"

Suddenly, Longbottom cocked his arm back and struck the redhead on the jaw, making Weasley stumble back from the ferocity of the punch. "Take that back, you bastard! Don't you _ever_ call my grandmother that again!" Longbottom shouted, his body heaving a little from anger, his clenched fist shaking by his side. Weasley was about to snap at Longbottom when Madame Hooch blew sharply into her whistle. "Alright, class, gather around!" The class grumbled and the crowd that had gathered around slowly dispersed towards the direction of the Quidditch referee. "This isn't over, Longbottom. We're continuing this in the common room." Weasely snarled lowly at Longbottom before moving towards Madam Hooch, intentionally colliding his arm against Longbottom, making the poor kid stumble a little.

Last Day of November

The school was silent due to the fact, most of the students had gone down to the snow-covered stadium to see the Gryffindor vs Ravenclaw Quidditch game. Diana wasn't interested in watching the game, even though most of her housemates were going just to laugh at Ravenclaw team struggle and decided to spend her time in the library to catch up on her reading. She found herself sitting across from Longbottom who was catching up on his homework, rolls of parchment strewn around him along with a bunch of books.

"I want to thank you," Neville said in a meek voice. Diana looked up from her book, an eyebrow raised. "Thank me for what?" Longbottom cheeked flushed red and cleared his throat. "For helping last time and the previous times. " He said, his fingers rolling his quill against his thumb. "I-I want to make it up to you. I'll do anything you want me to do." Diana felt amused that the kid was willing to do anything for her and that all she needed to do was ask. She was tempted, but honestly, she didn't think he could handle it.

"Very well Longbottom. I'll keep your offer in mind." She simply stated and they both went into a comfortable silence. "Longbottom, do you know the... identity of your parents' attackers?" She asked in a casual voice as she flipped a page in her book. She could feel Longbottom's gaze on her, his homework forgotten at the moment. He looked down at his forgotten parchment paper, his fingers clenched into a fist as his eyes stared at nothing "Yeah. That crazy bitch Bellatrix Lestrange and her husband." Diana raised an eyebrow at his sudden change of demeanor and use of swear words, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.

Neville flushed once he realized what he was saying. "S-Sorry Diana. I-I don't k-know what happened. I-" Diana quickly composed her facial features and waved his concerns with a sweeping motion with her hand. "No harm was done, Longbottom." Longbottom believed her and quickly went back to his neglected homework, his cheeks still flushed. Diana leaned back in her chair as if in deep thought about how to answer a certain question for her homework, her quill dancing slightly between her fingers as another smirk played with her lips. She had just found another possible supporter of their cause.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Are you sure about this, Diana? You do realize that Longbottom's family has a _long_ history of being Gryffindor. What the hell make you think that he could be swayed to be converted on to our side?" Draco asked, pacing side to side in front of the couch in the Slytherin common room, his hand running through his blond locks. "Simple, we'll just tell him that we have Bellatrix and Rudolphus and that we are giving him clear access to seek revenge." The gang was silent before Blaise cracked up laughing, taking a few minutes to calm down before saying something. "Have you gone mental, Diana? If you haven't noticed, Longbottom can barely perform a simple _Wingardium Leviosa_ during class without stuttering like a fool. Do you honestly expect him to perform a cruciatus curse on someone?"

Diana was silent as she stared intently in the dancing fire. "I know what I'm doing. However, I won't be the one talking to Longbottom. Severus will." She said softly, almost in a whisper. Hermione nodded slowly. "Longbottom will be more perceptive to the information if it was told by an adult, not a bunch of first years." The others eventually nodded in agreement. "How do you think he will react?" Pansy asked. Diana shrugged her shoulders. "Who knows. Gryffindors are known to be unpredictable at times. We'll see in due time."

December, Friday

The Hogwarts Express left Hogsmeade Station filled with excited students, bound towards King's Cross. "What are your plans for the holidays?" Diana asked towards the gang. Blaise peered up from the game of wizard's chess he was playing with Draco. "The usual. Heading over to Italy with Mother for a while and come back if called." All of them nodded since they were doing something similiar but not all the same. Diana smirked as she turned her head to look out of the window, watching the scenery rush by in a blur.

"So, you're saying you all would be a part of my inner circle when I have my own army to run?" She asked. The others looked at her and nods. "Of course. We swore our fealty to you the moment we all met." Daphne said, briefly pausing from reading the recent edition of _Witch Weekly_. "Very well," Diana said, feeling pleased that her friends had agreed to stay by her side. Theodore's eyes flickered to the door and silently motioned for them to stop talking, placing a finger on his lips. Diana flicked her eyes from the window to the sliding door which had windows that people can peer into the compartment from the narrow walkway.

 ** _"_** ** _Qui est-ce, Theodore?"_** _ **(F)**_ (Who is it, Theodore?) Diana asked. **_"_** ** _Qui d'autre? C'est la belette qui ne meurt jamais." (F)_** (Who else? It's the weasel that never dies.) Theodore sneered, causing the others to snicker. Diana smirked, watching as Weasley peeked into the compartment through the window. The redhead turned bright red when he noticed all eyes in the compartment was looking at him and quickly fled the area. **_"_** ** _Problème résolu." (F)_** (Problem solved.) Theodore smirked. **_"_** ** _Pour l'instant." (F)_** (For now.) Draco said and identical evil smirks went on everyone's lips.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

 ** _"Natal'ya!" (R)_** (Natalya!) Valentina called out to her over the sound of other parents calling out of their children the moment she stepped off the train. ** _"Mama!"_** ** _(R)_** (Mother!) Diana called out and rushed over to hug Valentina tight, despite the fact some of the students and some of the professors that were chaperoning the train ride, was looking over to them. _**"Gde otets?" (R)**_ (Where is Father?) She asked, immediately changing to Russian **_"Tvoy otets dolzhen byl chto-to posetit' v ministerstve. On vernetsya do obeda." (R)_** (Your father had to attend to something in the Ministry. He'll be back before dinner.)

 ** _"Mama, mozhet Germiona priyti na obed?_ " _(R)_** (Mother, can Hermione come over for lunch?) Diana often mentioned Hermione and her friends in her letters to home and she told her adoptive parents about the brunette's situation. Valentina smiled at Diana and then at Hermione, who was standing a little bit off to the side. _**"Konechno." (R)**_ (Of course.) Diana smiled and turned around to look at the brunette, making beckoning motions for her to come over and that it was ok for her to stay over. The three bid the rest goodbye and left the train station via side-apparition to the Ivankov Estate. Diana's disguised appearance melted off her face, revealing her true look. Hermione looked in amazement at her friend's new appearance. "Wow, you look so much different, the true you I mean." Diana laughed softly and place an arm around her shoulder. "Get used to it. Only those in my inner circle and the death eaters will see my true looks."

"Honestly, have those people ever been taught that it is rude to stare at people?" Narcissa huffed the moment she and Draco apparated in the foyer. The rest of the gang appeared. They decided to leave at certain times so it wouldn't alert any of Dumbledore's cronies. "I agree with you, Cissa. A bunch of indignant people." Isabelle Greengrass sniffed with disdain as she took off her cloak which was placed on the coat hanger by a house elf. "Mistress, Kappy finished making lunch." A house elf squeaked as it padded into the foyer before disappearing with a loud pop.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

Dian looked up from the book she was reading in the living room with Hermione when she heard the sound of the Floo activate. The brunette decided to stay a little longer after lunch, not wanting to go back to the orphanage just yet. She placed her book page down on the couch, saving the page she was reading on when Christopher and Stepan stepped through. "Brother." She mumbled as she was pulled into his arms. He didn't say anything as he kissed the top of her head. She moved from her brother to hug Stepan before looking back at Christopher. "Come, I have someone one I want you to meet." She said, taking his hand and pulling him with her to the living room. Stepan chuckled softly and left the room in the opposite direction to find his wife.

"Hermione, this is my brother, Christopher. Christopher, this is Hermione, the one I met in Diagon Alley." Diana said as she dropped her brother's hand while introducing them to each other. The brunette looked up from her book when she heard her name get called to see Diana coming back into the room with a handsome boy, perhaps a year older than them. Christopher's face was neutral as always when meeting new people but his eyes were looking over Hermione from head to foot. "Nice to meet you, Hermione." He said, reaching down to take a hold of her hand, finding himself unable to look away from her brown eyes as he lifted her hand to his lips, barely brushing his lips against her knuckles.

The brunette's face blushed a little as the boy in front of her kissed her hand so gently, she barely noticed how soft his lips were. "N-Nice to meet you too, Christopher." Christopher gave a rare smile towards her as he let go of her hand. His eyes flickered to the book she had placed face down on the couch. "Dark Magic Theories...this is a lengthy read for a first year.." He said before his eyes flickered back to Hermione. The brunette puffed her cheeks and tilt her nose up a little. "I can handle the lengthy read. I'm not your particular first year." Christopher raised an eyebrow but his eyes showed amusement behind them, a smirk on his lips. "Its a pleasure meeting you, Hermione. Perhaps I'll be seeing you again one day." He said before walking away towards the grand staircase going up to the upper level.

December, Monday

"You idiot! I told you to not got there with your team!" Diana yelled and slammed a powerful cruciatus curse at Yaxley in anger. The grown man crumbled to the floor, screaming and a writhing mess on the floor. The other death eaters scrambled away from the writhing form, leaving a good enough space between them and him. The curse ended and the silence was only broken from the wheezing and heavy panting from Yaxley. "Dolohov." Diana snapped, her wand still clutched tightly in her hand. A shaggy-looking male stepped forward from the crowd and immediately bent down on one knee, bending his head in respect. "Yes, my lady?"

"I want you and Severus to form a team to rescue those captured." She said coldly. Dolohov looked up at her for a second before looking down at his feet as Severus moved from standing next to the throne chair where Christopher was currently standing and moved to kneel next to Dolohov. "Yes, my lady. I will forever be your faithful servant." They both said in unison. Diana sent them off with a silent motion with her hand. The chamber was deadly silent as Diana stepped off the stone dais towards the twitching form of Yaxley. "Now for your punishment, Yaxley."

The grown man turned to a sniveling human being as he got up on his knees, reaching to grab the hem of her cloak. "Let go of me." She hissed venomously, grabbing onto her cloak and ripped it out of his grip. Christopher was silent the entire time until he stood up from the throne chair and walked over to stand next to his sister. "I have the perfect spell for him." He said, his voice echoing in the enormous chamber. Diana smirked sadistically. She enjoyed learning the spells they taught in Koldovstoretz. He moved to stand behind Diana and grabbed a hold of her hand that was still holding her wand and pointed it to Yaxley.

Christopher mumbled something as he moved his wand in sharp movements so that Diana was the only one who heard it. _**"Otvarit' iznutri"** **(R)**_ (Boil from the inside.) Nothing happened at first before Yaxley let out a painful scream, rolling back in forth on the floor as his clawed at his skin. Steam erupted from within his body as his screams continued to come, his skin quickly turning red and blisters started to form. The spectators remained silent in fear as they watched their fellow death eater scream in agony from an unknown spell.

 ** _"Konets zaklinaniya." (R)_** (End spell.) The spell suddenly ends and Yaxley's screams changed to pained whimpers. Diana walked over to the figure on the floor to see what kind of damage the spell did to a human being. Yaxley's skin was bright red with numerous blisters all over, most likely second degree burns "Interesting..." Diana said as if she didn't realize what happened. She motioned for two death eaters to come over. "Take him away to get treated. Make sure to tell the healer to do it as slow as possible." She said as she looked at the still conscious Yaxley with her cold emerald eyes before they carried him off.

December, Christmas

"Diana!" Pansy, Daphne squealed the moment they saw her walk into the hallway that had the doors to the ballroom with Valentina, Stepan, and Christopher and ran as quickly as they could to meet her. Diana laughed softly as they gushed over her dress. She was wearing a red A-line dress with a mesh-like material covering the top part of her chest, splitting into two straps which went over her shoulders, ending in at a zipper in the middle of her back. Small red beads accented the torso part of the dress. The skirt part was long and the hems dragged on the floor. Her hair was kept down with gentle curls "You both look stunning." Daphne and Pansy blushed, suddenly turned shy to the boys that were waiting handsomely by the side. Christopher scanned over the first years to see someone, in particular, he was hoping would be attending. Valentina and Stepan excused themselves to be with the adults in the ballroom as Christopher walked over to Hermione who had once again hung to the back.

"You look beautiful, my lady," Draco said the moment she walked over to him. Diana laughed softly as she stopped in front of him. "How many times do I have to tell you, don't call me that?" Draco chuckled as he kissed the back of her hand, his eyes moving to her chest when he noticed something. "You're wearing the necklace I gave you." He said softly as if he wasn't expecting her to. Diana raised an eyebrow. "You gave me this for Christmas. Of, course I would wear it." Draco grinned as he stuck his arm out. "Shall we?" He asked.

Diana smiled widely and nods. "We shall." She placed her hand on the crook of his arms and hiked up some of the dress with one hand so she wouldn't trip as Draco guided her into the ballroom where all the guests have presided. The gang paired off, Christopher and Hermione are second in line and followed after her. The guest moved to form a path for them, everyone bowing to Diana and Christopher as they walked by. The guest knew that these kids following Diana would be the next generation of Dark wizard and witches.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

The adults knew that the kids couldn't possibly dance to Classical music the entire party and feel bored. So, they transformed one of the rooms they had no real use for in daily life, into another dance room. The room had more than enough room to fit the kids and non-alcoholic beverages. Loud music filled the room which got everyone to dance without a care in the world. Diana was having the time of her life as she danced with the girls, especially Hermione since she finally gotten over her slight shyness. Thankfully none of them got drunk, but a killer sugar high that their stomach would greatly regret in the morning.


	5. Chapter Five

[A/N: Thanks for the lots of love guys for this story! I'm so happy that so many of you like this story so far. As always, I'm using Google Translate for the Russian and French, so please let me know if you see any mistakes. Now off to the story! Please comment, favorite or subscribe to be updated for the next chapter.]

Chapter 5

"Mione, what are you reading?" Daphne asked in curiosity. The gang was in Diana's bedroom, the boys playing chess on the carpeted floor and the girls were on Diana's bed reading the latest edition of _Witch Weekly_. Said brunette was curled up in the armchair right next to the snow covered window with a rather thick looking book, looked up from her book. "I've been thinking. If we are going to do things in secret, we need to have a form of communication that no one can know." The gang paused what they were doing, the conversation peeked Diana's interest as she looked up from writing something in a leather notebook that she received for Christmas.

"You mean like a cryptic language?" Diana asked the brunette. "Exactly," Hermione said as she tucked a finger to mark the spot while closing the book before walking over to the bed. She opened the book to the same page she was on to show a diagram as the boys moved off the floor to sit on the bed. "You see, Muggles use this form of communication called Morse code. The alphabet is represented by a combination of short or long clicking or tapping sounds. For example, something like this." She closed the book back up and began tapping the hard book cover with her forefinger in an almost rhythmic pattern. "What did you say?" Draco asked.

"I spelled out my name," Hermione said, her eyes lingering at the gangs' faces to gauge their reaction to her idea. "Hm, this is an interesting idea, Mione," Diana said slowly. "Let us have another look at the diagram again." She inquired and Hermione consented. The gang leaned in close as they looked over the diagram once again in greater detail. "Let's practice. I'll go first." Pansy said after a few minutes. "What does this mean?" She leaned over towards her side and began tapping the wooden bedpost in a series of taps. **"-.-. ... .- -. -. . / - ..-. / .-. .-.. .- -."**

"What does that mean?" She said. The gang had to look over the book as they had the short haired girl repeat the sound several times. "Change of plan?" Blaise said after a little bit. Pansy grinned and nods. "Correct." Theodore frowned when he realized something. "The messages...it will need to be short then. The sound would alert others if they noticed the excessive tapping for long messages." The others realized what the male was saying and nodded in agreement. "That is a risk we will have to take for now," Diana said after a few minutes of silence. "I'll think up of a solution."

The moment was interrupted by the sound of knuckles rapping against the door. "Come in," Diana said over the soft muttering of the others softly talking to each other. Valentina peeked her head in, a soft smile on her face as she caught Diana's attention. **_"_** ** _Severus zdes'. On govorit, chto khochet pogovorit' s toboy." (R)_** (Severus is here. He says he wants to talk to you.) Diana silently nodded and climbed off of the bed. "I'll be right back." She said to the others as she walked to the door. The last sound she heard before the door closed was Hermione declaring that she would pass everyone a copy of the diagram for them to practice on their own time.

Diana walked with Valentina down the stairs to the doors of the living room where the Potion master was. "Severus." She said as she closed the double doors behind her. "What brings you here?" She asked as she sat on the couch directly across from Severus. "I came to tell you that I talked to Mr. Longbottom." The potion master said. "Oh? How did that go?" Diana asked, leaning back in her seat as her mind raced through multiple possibilities. Severus sighed softly. "As usual, he didn't believe me when I first told him. I decided to give him some of my memories and left him with them. I haven't heard back from him yet." He stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

Diana raised an eyebrow at this and didn't have a look of worry on her face. "We still have time, Severus. Longbottom will come to us eventually." She said. She got out of the chair and walked back to her bedroom. "Come, let's play a game of Quidditch. I'll tell you what Severus and I discussed while we play."

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

Neville stared out of the window, watching the snow fall from the sky, joining the other snowflakes on the white ground. Severus' words replayed over and over in his mind, seemingly driving in the anger in his body each time. _Death eater...what a load of rubbish!_ He huffed to himself, folding his arms across his chest. He was so lost in his thoughts, he didn't hear the light sound of knuckles rapping against the door. "Why the frowns, Neville?" A voice called out to him and he looked over his shoulder to see his grandmother standing there, her bony hands clasped in front of her with a kind long on her lined-ridden face.

Neville huffed as he turned back to looking back out of the window. "Professor Snape said that Mum and Dad were spies for Voldemort. Can you believe that? Auror Frank and Alice Longbottom, spies for the dark?" He said, laughing coldly at how unbelievable that sounded. Neville heard his grandmother sigh as she moved to sit across from her grandson. "Neville, I've known that man since he was a student at Hogwarts. There's no way he would lie about this." She said in a soft voice. Neville diverted his eyes from the window to his grandmother, a look of utter dismay and anger filled his face. "You actually believe this, Gran? You actually believe that your own son and daughter-in-law are spies for the dark?"

"I do." Madame Longbottom said, a mixture of sadness and anger on her face as she glanced down at her wrinkly hands. "Your parents saw what Dumbledore truly was weeks before that incident. They wouldn't tell me, saying that they were under strict rules not to say anything. That week, everything was so normal. They had even made plans to have you stay over the weekend so they could have a well-earned vacation in Spain." Madame Longbottom let out a heavy sigh. Neville tsked loudly as his hands balled up into fists, his well-trimmed nails scratching lightly against the wooden table between them. "What about Bellatrix, Gran? She _made_ them the way are they are now! If they were spies for the Dark Lord, why the hell would she torture them to the point of insanity?!" Neville's voice kept getting louder with each word.

His grandmother gave him a side look. "Neville, that woman is deranged along with her husband. _No one_ knows what goes on in a crazy person's mind." She did have a point there. Neville grunts instead, feeling the anger slowly leave his body. "What do you think I should do, Gran?" He then asked, suddenly feeling drained from the amount of information given to him earlier. "Go send an owl to Severus."

January, Monday

"I can't believe we have to go back already." Pansy groaned as she propped her feet in between Blaise and Theodore. The gang had once again occupied a compartment towards the back of the Hogwarts Express, the boys on one side while the girls on the other as the train chugged down the tracks towards the direction of Hogwarts. "I know. I don't want to have to deal with the Gryffindors already." Blaise said, covering his mouth as he yawned and leaned back against the booth and folding his arms across his chest, planning on falling asleep for the train ride.

A sharp rap against the compartment sliding door broke the atmosphere. Diana silent made eye contact with Blaise and the Italian gave a short nod. He silently stood up and walked over to the compartment door. He slides the door open, his body covering the view of the others in the compartment as they heard him talk to someone. **_"Diana,_** ** _Londubat_** ** _veut te parler." (F)_** (Diana, Longbottom wants to talk to you.) Blaise finally said after a bit, looking at her over his shoulder. Diana looked at Blaise and silently motioned for him to let him in.

 ** _"_** ** _Voulez-vous que nous partions?" (F)_** (Do you want us to leave?) Draco asked as Neville stepped into the compartment, looking out of place in the compartment filled with Slytherins. Diana was silent for a minute and shook her head. "Come sit, Longbottom." She said as some of the boys stood up, amused as Neville shuffled over to sit as he tried to pass by the boys who were making it _very_ clear they weren't going to move from that spot. "Blaise tells me you want to talk to me. What about?" Diana asked as Neville finally settled in the booth across from her.

His eyes kept on scanning back and forth nervously between her and the boys."I know what you are." He said, his voice surprisingly strong. Diana raised an eyebrow as the others in the compartment tensed up. "Oh? And what is it that you know?" She asked. "I know that you're the daughter of the Dark Lord and that there is a bigger reason for you to come to Hogwarts then education." He said, feeling his Gryffindor courage quickly leave him.

Draco's eyes narrowed and made a menacing step towards Longbottom, who instantly shrank in his seat. "And your point is?" He said, his eyes showing annoyance but to the others who knew him longer, knew that he was giving the Gryffindor a hard time. **_"_** ** _Facile, Draco." (F)_** (Easy, Draco.) Diana said, highly amused with everything though she didn't show it on her face. "So Longbottom, what are you planning to do with that information now that you know our plans?" Neville shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing." Everyone stared at him like he was about to sprout two heads. "Nothing?" Draco asked, raising another eyebrow, sounding like a broken record, which Malfoys would never do.

"Are you sure you want to do that? Aren't you Gryffindors disgustingly loyal to Dumbledore?" Neville snorts and shook his head. "Now I'm not. Not after what that old bastard did to my parents all those years ago." The Slytherins looked at the Gryffindor in a whole different light. "However, I _do_ have a reason for coming here," Longbottom stated, looking more confident now that he managed to capture their attention. "Oh?" Diana asked, already having an idea of what he was going to say.

"Bellatrix is one of your followers..." For some reason, he trailed off, like he couldn't believe that he was going to what was on his mind. "And you want to seek revenge for your parents, correct?" Diana stated and Neville silently nodded. She stared intently at Neville for a minute before smirking a little. "Looks like you and I have something in common. Both of our families have been affected by Dumbledore in some way. However, Longbottom, I hope you realize that Bellatrix isn't correlated with Dumbledore. She wouldn't _dream_ of working side by side with the old coot." Neville took a moment before nodding, a fire burning in the back of his eyes.

A silent understanding occurred between them and Diana nodded in acknowledgment. "Fine. But let me ask you this, Longbottom. Are you prepared to see what kind of person you are on the inside? You may not like it." She asked, realizing that this kid was going to have a major hurdle sooner or later. "I'm ready. I've been ready for years to confront that crazy bitch."

January, Wednesday

The potions classroom was silent as the first year students took the quiz. Weasley sat towards the back, mumbling incoherent words over the sound of quills scratching against the parchment paper. **_"_** ** _.- ... .- - ... / - ... . / .- -. ... .-. .-. / - - / -. ..- - -... . .-. / ...- ..-.."_** (Whats the answer to number 3?) The sound of soft tapping against the wooden desk was barely noticeable over the scratching. To those who did hear it, they thought it was a leaking pipe within the walls or perhaps its the famed story of the girl ghost in the bathroom that was coming to haunt them.

 ** _"_** ** _.. / -.. .. -.. / -. - - / - . .- -.-. ... / -.- - ..- / - ... . / -.-. - -.. . / .- ..- ... - / ... - / -.- - ..- / -.-. .- -. / ..- ... . / .. - / - - / -.-. ... . .- - / - -. / - ... . / - . ... -"_** (I did not _teach_ you the code just so you can cheat on the test!) Even though Hermione was sitting in front of the room, they could still feel the glares just as clearly as if she was looking directly at you. The others snickered silently as they kept their eyes on their own paper. Diana placed her test face down and silently waited for the rest of the class to finish. Severus started strolling in between the rows of desks, making sure anyone wasn't cheating. As he walked passed Diana's a familiar note appeared in the palm of her hand.

 _Dumbledore will be gone for a board meeting with the Board of Governors a month from now. Bring everyone with you to my office tonight. I have information that you will need._

Diana immediately crumpled the paper in her hand and began lightly tapping her finger on the table. **_"_** ** _... . ...- . .-. ..- ... / .- .- -. - ... / ..- ... / - - / - . . - / ... .. - / .-.. .- - . .-. / - - -. .. -. ... - .-.-.- / ... . / ... .- ... / .. -. ..-. - .-. - .- - .. - -. / - ... .- - / .- . / -. . . -.. .-.-.-"_** (Severus wants us to meet him later tonight. He has information that we need.) She saw in the corner of her eye the rest of the gang nodding their head.

"Professor, I think you have a leaking faucet." One of the Patil twins said in an annoying voice as she raised her hand.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"That idiot _actually_ name that Cerberus Fluffy?" Blaise said, his mouth slightly gaping. The gang was in Severus' room like he said and they were sitting in front of the roaring fire. "That is beside the point," Severus said as he sat down in his chair, holding a thick book in his hand. "I call you all here tonight is to share the pieces of information I have gathered." He said as he flipped open the book to a specific page as the others leaned forward to see. "I was able to find out what that flute was and my speculations were correct. Play it and the Cerberus won't stand a chance." He said.

Diana, Draco, and Hermione nodded. "I assume there will be more obstacles like the Cerberus, so I suggest you three tread lightly. As for the rest of you," Severus said towards the rest of the gang. "While those three are gone, act normally. Even though they will be gone at night, try not to bring other's attention to the fact three of you are gone. I have no doubt Dumbledore has wards around the stone and when you take it, he'll know. There is a possibility that he might call you to his office if he suspects Diana, Draco or Hermione."

The others nodded. No way was the headmaster going to get any information from them. "What will you be doing with the Philosopher's stone?" Diana asked realizing that none of those in the inner circle was telling her anything in that regard. Severus smirked. "Its a surprise. You'll have to wait until the summer to find out." Diana scowled at this. She didn't like to wait so long to find out. So much like Lily or so she had been told.

"It better be worth something for making me wait that long." The others snickered as Severus chuckled softly, a rare sight to see. "Don't worry. It will definitely be worth the wait."

February, Wednesday

"Oi Longbottom! That's the wrong ingredient, you idiot!" The rather peaceful Potions lab that had no incidents so far, was broken by the rather annoying voice while Severus was out of the classroom briefly. The class looked over to see what had happened since there was no exploding cauldron. Instead of seeing shards of a cauldron, they saw thick puke yellow colored foam flowing over the edge of Longbottom's and Weasley's. The usually stuttering and the deer-in-the-headlights Neville was glaring at the redhead, which caught everyone in Gryffindor off guard, especially Weasley. Longbottom was usually so sweet.

"That was _your_ fault, you idiot!" Neville yelled out. "You're supposed to put in obsidian powder, not moon-calf blood!" Weasley's face turned red as he immediately stood up, didn't like being told by someone who _clearly_ doesn't know what he is doing half of the time, and trying to look menacing but was failing miserably. "What are you going to do about it, Longbottom?." He sneered. Neville was about to respond when the door to the classroom opened and Severus came strolling in, immediately catching on to the situation. "Whats this? Causing trouble in my classroom already, Weasley?" He said, looking down at the redhead with a sneer.

Weasley immediately pointed a finger at Longbottom. "It was him, sir." Neville's eyes widened in disbelief and almost wanted to smack that offending finger away from him. "It's not true, sir. He did it." Severus figured that he wasn't getting anywhere and turned to look at the Slytherins. **_"_** ** _Qui était celui qui l'a fait?"_ _(F)_** (Who was the one who did it?) Diana raised an eyebrow. **_"_** ** _Qui d'autre? Weasley." (F)_** (Who else? Weasley.)

Severus silently turned his attention back to Weasley. "So you thought you can get out of blowing up a cauldron in my classroom, Mr. Weasley?" He said silkily. "Twenty points from Gryffindor for using your peers as your scapegoat. Detention at my office tonight." Weasley looked outraged at this and pointed another finger at the Slytherin side of the classroom. "Why the hell are you _trusting_ them for? They're a bunch of lying-"

"Merlin, I can practically feel my brain cells dying." "We're not the ones who use their housemate as a shield," Blaise said coldly. "Professor Snape is our _Head of House_ , you moron. Of course, he would side with us, you moron." Diana groaned in a dramatic way, pinching the bridge of her nose. Severus' lip twitched at Diana's comment but kept his composure. "Nicely said, both of you. Now get back to work, or else I'll start taking off more points."

March, Thursday

A soft crack appeared into the night, causing the neighborhood dogs to bark until their owners yelled at them from the window to shut up as an elderly man walked towards the front doors of 4 Privet Drive. Dumbledore scowled at the perfect picket white fence outlining the perfect green lawn. It had taken awhile to come visit these muggles due to Ministry hounding on him as usual. He wanted answers. Answers to how the Riddle brat managed to die in their care. He thought he had left specific instructions in the letter that he had tucked in the blanket wrapped around the baby.

He stopped in front of the door, rang the doorbell and composed his facial features into a kind grandfatherly smile as he heard heavy footsteps coming towards the door from the other side. "Yes?" A large man with a bushy mustache said gruffly once the door was opened. "Ah, you must be Mr. Dursley." He said with a smile. "What do you want? If you are here to sell something, we aren't interested." He said in a snappy tone as he made a move to close the eyes on Dumbledore when the old man reached out to stop the door. "Not yet, Mr. Dursley. I want to talk to you about Diana Potter."

Mr. Dursley grew pale, looking like he had frozen on the spot as Dumbledore heard some more footsteps walking towards them from inside the house. "Vernon, who is it?" A female voice calls out to him as a thin woman with a horse-like face appeared next to the large man and she placed a bony hand on his meaty shoulder. "Petunia, this man is here to talk about Diana." The man named Vernon said over to his wife. Petunia also turned pale before her expression turned to sadness. "Diana...I haven't heard that name in a while..." She said softly. "Oh, where are my manners. Please, come in." She said with a soft smile as she opened the door wider to let Dumbledore in.

Petunia leads the wizard into their living room and Vernon followed close behind. "Could you tell me what happened?" Dumbledore asked as he settled into the floral print couch while Vernon and Petunia sat across from him. "Well, Diana had a fever perhaps a few days since she appeared on our doorstep. Vernon and I took her to hospital. They gave her medicine but it didn't seem to be working..." She said as she briefly looked over at Vernon, who had a beefy hand around her shoulder in a comforting way. "She died in her sleep a few days later." She said as she turned her attention back to the wizard.

Dumbledore frowned internally. This was unexpected. Lily had told countless people that her sister was against anything remotely normal according to Muggle standards. "You work for that school, don't you? The one that Lily attended when we were kids?" The old man snapped back to the current situation when he heard Petunia say that. "Yes, I'm the headmaster of Hogwarts. If Diana was alive, I would have had the pleasure of teaching her." He said smoothly. Petunia nodded slowly. "I know Lily has told things about me, all of them true. But i"ve change. I loved Lily and I loved that little girl too. Both of us did." She said, referring to Vernon. "Even though we had Dudders, we both were happy to take Diana in."

Dumbledore left the little house, not liking what he heard but he couldn't do anything about it. The Riddle brat was out of the equation which meant he still had a clear shot at killing Tom when the time comes. Less work he had to do later. He had a little spring in his steps as he apparated from the Muggle street, not realizing that it was the Ivanov's doing. Many miles away, Stepan felt the wards that he put around the Dursley's house 10 years ago, break the moment Dumbledore walked into the perimeter.

March, Friday

Diana sat curled up in the armchair, reading a chapter in her textbook when she heard a light tapping on the glass window. She looked up to see a familiar large owl perched outside on the window ledge. She got up to as she pulled her thick cashmere cardigan that was over her pajamas, closer to her body as she walked over to the window to let the owl in. "Hello, Cyprus." She greeted as the creature flew in and gracefully landed on her shoulder. The owl cooed softly and gave her cheek an affectionate nip, something she considered as a kiss from the animal, before sticking out a leg so she could untie the letter.

"Got something for me, handsome?" She asked as she untied the rolled up parchment. Rather than to ask for a snack, the owl flew back out of the open window. _From Severus._ She thought as she broke the wax seal and read the short note using the roaring fireplace as a source of light. "Perfect..." She whispered. She crumpled the note and tossed it into the glowing embers, watching it burn into nothing before stepping out of the common room. She walked up the stone steps towards some doors. "Hey you guys, wake up!" Diana shouted the moment she walked into one of the rooms.

Draco jolted up from his bed, his blonde hair sticking up in all directions. "What the hell, Diana..." He croaked from sleep as the other boys he was sharing the dorm room with, let out groans as they also go up. None of them seemed surprised that Diana was there in the boy's dorm anymore since she was known to do that ever since they knew her.

"Severus just owled me. We're going to move tonight. Meet us in the common room. We're going to have a meeting before we proceed." Diana left the room as she heard the boys groans as they forced themselves out of their heated bed. Diana went back to the girl's dorm and did the same thing, having to dodge pillows being thrown at her. "What did Severus said?" Draco asked when everyone arrived in the common room. "He said we need to move tonight. We have about an hour before that old coot comes back. Diana stated. "Remember, the rest of you, stay here. If the three of us don't come back within the hour, notify Severus."

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

Three cloaked hooded figures ran down the dark corridor, their footsteps muffled by the dark-colored runner lining the stone floor. The three came to a stop in front of a familiar door and each silently filed into the room, each one making sure the coast was clear before disappearing out of sight. A low rumble filled the air as the three took off their hoods. "Merlin, it stinks," Hermione said, covering her nose with her hand to block the smell. "Let's hurry up," Diana scowled at the smell as well. "I don't want to be here any longer then we have to." Their voice was nearly nonexistent to the rumbling sounds of beastial snoring from the Cerberus, who was once again lying close to the trap door again, the necessary flute right under his curved nails.

Diana silently motioned for Draco to go ahead. The blonde male made a sour face but silently did as he was told. He slowly made his way over to the sleeping beast, his breath seemingly caught in his throat as he ever so slowly pulled the flute from under the enormous paw. The other two could barely breathe as if their breathing would wake up the Cerberus from its slumber while they watched their blonde companion make the best move. Sweat seemed to form on Draco's brow as he moved the flute towards him inch by inch, his cobalt eyes flicking side to side from the Cerberus to the flute before he was finally clear. The two girls gave out a sigh of relief.

Being that Hermione was only one who knew how to play the flute, she was the one who played a tune out of the wooden instrument. The brunette only played a couple of notes and it sounded so eerie in the room, the notes echoing off the stone walls while Draco used his wand to slowly lift the giant paw off the trap door. Diana kept a close eye on everything and silently motioned for Hermione to stop playing the flute. The Cerberus remained asleep, its upper lip trembling as it blew out air. Draco leaned down and grabbed a hold of the metal ring attached to the trap door and remained in that position as he looked over at Diana.

"Open it." She silently mouthed and the blonde did as he was told, lifting the wooden trapdoor upward. As if the timing couldn't be worse, the trapdoor made a low groan, seemingly vibrating through the air. All three held their breath, standing absolutely still as they watched the still-sleeping Cerberus. Draco gave out a sigh of relief before motioning the two to come with his arm. They needed to get a move on. The two girls moved over to stand with Draco at the edge of the opening, unable to see through the bottomless pit of blackness below, taking their eyes off of the sleeping beast.

"Merlin, I hope it's not too far of a drop," Hermione said nervously. "Diana, did Severus mention anything else beyond this trapdoor?" Draco asked none of them noticed a large shadow moving behind them. "No. The only thing he mentioned was the Cerberus. We'll have to go through the rest blind." Diana said. Draco was about to say something when Hermione cut him off, her eyes looking over at where the Cerberus was last seen. "Guys, where did the Cerberus go?" She asked with a small voice, her eyes wide with unsaid fear.

"What the-" Draco was cut off when a loud growl could be heard from above them. The three froze on the spot, their hearts thumping loudly in their chest as they ever so slowly looked up towards the ceiling. The Cerberus was flashing its glistening teeth at them, a deep growl coming from deep within its chest before suddenly lunging down at them, snapping its jaws as it barked. The three barely had time to scream as they dodging the dangerous set of teeth and slobber before finding themselves dropping through the trap door, their screams trailing behind them as they plummeted through the darkness.

They grunted as they landed on something slightly squishy and slimy feeling. "Ugh, what the bloody hell did we drop into?" Diana scowled slightly as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, seeing her two companions a couple inches away from her. "Are you guys ok?" She called out "Yeah, we're fine." She heard Hermione say. She was about to stand up to make her way over to her companions when she felt the slimy thing under them start to move around like a snake. "Um...guys, did you feel that?" She said, her body immediately froze in space despite how calm her voice was. To their horror, thick tentacles start wrapping around them, gradually getting tighter.

"it's Devil's Snare." Hermione managed to gasp as the plant tightened around her chest. Their minds raced back to the time Professor Sprout lectured to the class about the murderous plant. "Can anyone reach their wands?" Draco asked after a little bit. They need to get moving from this predicament, or else they won't be out of here in an hour. "I...think...so..." Diana and Draco heard Hermione's voice straining as she tried to reach her wand that was in her robe pocket.

"I got it! _**Lumos solem**!_" A large beam of light emitted from her direction and shot down to the Devil's Snare below. A high pitch scream filled the air as the tentacles shifted around them, seemingly writhing in pain as the large-sized hole where the beam of light hit started burning through the flesh. Rather quickly, the tentacles wrapped around them gradually loosened enough to wiggle away. They quickly regrouped, their heart racing slightly as they started at the tentacles. "That was a nuisance," Diana said with a huff. "Let's go." She said as they nodded. One by one dropping down the hole to the unknown. "Let's keep moving," Diana said when they all landed on solid ground.

" _ **Lumos**._" The three of them muttered, their way illuminated with bright lights. They then started walking down the hallway, each one carefully scanning the area to make sure nothing would come out at them. They soon came up to another door. _I wonder what the old coot has in store for us next._ Diana thought as she grabbed a hold of the rusty door handle and slowly turned it. The sounds of tiny wings flapping greeted them and the three stared up at sight.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me." Diana groaned softly. "This is _too_ easy." She grumbled when she noticed all of the keys were brand new looking and was moving around uniformly, all except for a rusty looking key that was meekly flapping around with messed up wings. "That one." She said lazily, pointing it out to her pointer finger. "Catch that one." Draco frowned slightly at this. "There's no broomstick-" Before he could even finish speaking, Hermione stepped from out of the shadows with a broomstick in hand.

The blonde's eyes widened in horror at the sight of the old broom, cobwebs still hanging on it. "I'm _not_ sitting on that disgusting thing. Merlin only knows where that broom has been." Diana rolled her eyes, much to Hermione's amusement. "Good lord, Draco. Just sit on it. The dust is not going to harm you, you wuss." Draco glared daggers at her as he yanked the broomstick out of Hermione's hand, his eyes promising for pay back later. That didn't worry her. She would just tell Narcissa and Draco would _really_ get it.

Draco zoomed through the air on the meager broomstick and successfully grabbed the rusty key. He landed back on the ground and haphazardly tossed the rusty key to Diana. "Here's your blasted key." He grumbled and Diana flashed him a dazzling smile. "Thank you. Draco." She didn't notice his pale cheeks turned slightly pink as she started walking away with Hermione.

The trio left the room to a large room with what looked like a giant chess board that almost covered the entire floor with the chess pieces lining both sides. "Now _this_ is interesting," Draco muttered, his silvery eyes scanning the giant chess pieces as he slowly walked on the chess board. Suddenly, the chess pieces moved to defensive mode. Draco smirked at this. "Looks like we have to play so we can pass."

Diana and Hermione didn't object as they let the blonde solve the next part of their mission by himself since both of them weren't as good at chess as he was. Within minutes, Draco beat the game without a single scratch and they all proceeded to the next mission. They stepped into another chamber to see that there was nothing in there except for standing mirror in the middle of the room. Diana noticed words scrawled across the frame of the mirror. ** _"_ _Je ne montre pas ton visage mais le désir de ton coeur." (F)_**

Diana silently scoffed. _Very appropriate._ She thought. "What does that say?" Hermione asked. She is currently learning French with the help of her fellow Slytherins so she only knew bits and pieces of what that sentence was saying. "It means 'I show not your face but your heart's desire.'" Draco chimed in. The brunette raised an eyebrow, still not quite understanding the meaning of this. "This is the Mirror of Erised. This mirror is supposed to show you what you desire most." Diana said once she noticed Hermione wouldn't know of this since there is only one of its kind and any information about its past is lost.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Yes, yes Albus, we understand that." Cornelius Fudge said crisply, glaring daggers at Dumbledore who was sitting a little ways from him at the large oval table. "But what Madame Bones is trying to say is that with your current job as headmaster for Hogwarts, the job would be too hard for you juggle with." Those at the table nodded in agreement, softly mumbling to each other. Every year, they heard the same request from the elderly headmaster and the Minister's response was always the same. Just give it a rest already, Dumbledore.

Dumbledore was about to respond when he suddenly froze, his eyes widened slightly behind his half-rimmed glasses as his face turned a shade paler. He had just felt the barrier that he placed around the stone get broken. Fudge leaned forward in his seat, thinking that his demises was going to die on the spot, but made sure to put on his 'concerned' face to hide his glee. "Is everything alright, Albus? You're looking a little pale." Dumbledore cleared his voice and placed a quick smile on his face.

"I'm alright, Cornelius, however, I will be leaving your presence earlier then I would like. There is an incident at Hogwarts that I must attend to immediately." The attending wizards and witches looked at each other with curiosity. What could possibly happen at the school and how in the world did he know that? They would have noticed if an owl flew in with a message or one of the people who had come with the old man had come in to relay a message but none of that had happened. "I'm sorry to hear that, Albus but we all understand. We look forward to seeing you at the next meeting." Cornelius said with mocking concern as Dumbledore left the chambers.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

Stepan gracefully walked through the dark chamber, his path only guided by the light coming from the flickering flames in the fireplace as he gripped the package in his hand tightly. He stepped up to a wing-backed chair who was facing the fireplace with a shivering figure standing hunched next to the armrest, the back of the chair facing him, and he got down on one knee. **_"_ _Moy lord, tvoya doch' i yeye druz'ya nashli eto. Ona tol'ko chto otpravila yego sovoy." (R)_** (My lord, your daughter, and her friends have found it. She had just sent it by owl.) A raspy voice seemed to be coming from the chair like there was someone in there. **_"Khorosho. Moi plany vernut'sya letom budut prodolzhat'sya v obyazatel'nom poryadke. I dostatochno s etim «lordom», Stepan." (R)_** (Good. My plans to come back in the summer will proceed without fail. And enough with that 'lord' stuff, Stepan.)


	6. Chapter Six

[A/N: Thanks so much for reading my story so far, guys! I'm so happy that so many of you like it! I made an adjustment to the incantation of the Regeneration potion then in the books. I just realize that in the first chapter I wrote that Diana would take Prometheus to Hogwarts while in the later chapter, I wrote that she didn't take Prometheus. Oops, I apologize for the confusion. Diana **didn't** take Prometheus with her to Hogwarts. I don't know if I mentioned in any of the chapters if Christopher is a parseltongue or not but he isn't. As usual, the foreign languages in this story are translated from Google Translate so, please let me know if something seems off. And as always, please, comment, subscribe and favorite my story and stay tuned to my next chapter~!]

Chapter 6

"Girls, get up!" The Slytherin 6th year prefect yelled out when she stuck her head into the 1st year girl's dorm. "What..." The girls groaned out as they were suddenly waking up from their sleep. Well, most of them were pretending anyway. Diana and Hermione had come to the dorm room about an hour earlier, the other girls deep asleep as they slipped under their own covers. "What's going on Cynthia?" Diana asked, pretending to be groggy as she trudged out of the dorm with the rest of the girls, her hair was skillfully messed up to sell the story that she was there in her bed the entire time.

"I don't know. Head down to the common room. Professor Snape says its important." The prefect said. The girls did as they were told and they all filed into the common room to see that the boys were there too. The gang moved to sit next to each other on the couch as Severus came in, already changed into his usual clothing and the soft talking stopped immediately. "You all must be wondering why I called you out of bed. There has been an incident earlier. Something important has been stolen and Dumbledore wants it found. He'll be here with the other professors and they will be searching through your possessions." He drawled, his face sour.

There was a loud commotion as the students immediately started protesting against the idea. "He can't do that! That is invading our privacy!" One 7th year boy yelled out in outrage, earning nods from his peers. "I understand your concerns but if you weren't the one who stole this important item, you have nothing to fear." He stated as his eyes scanned over his students, his eyes stopping at Diana and gave her a tiny nod. "Has he checked any of the other houses yet?" Hermione asked, a frown on her face. Severus scoffed. "Apparently, he wants to check Slytherins first." The students grumbled at this.

The portal to the Slytherin dorm room swings open and Dumbledore followed by McGonagall and Flitwick came strolling in. "I apologize for making you all get up. I'm sure you all need your sleep. However, something has happened, and as I'm sure your Head of House has told you, I need to make sure that it is still in this school." Dumbledore said with a cheery smile, the complete opposite of what the students were feeling. "I suggest you hurry this up, Albus. My students and I are _very_ tired and would like to go back to bed." Severus said crisply. "Of course, Severus."

Dumbledore said in a grandfatherly way. He motioned for the two professors to get on with the search, McGonagall went to girl's dorm and Flitwick went to boy's dorm. "My father will be hearing about this, Dumbledore." Draco sneered, his arms folded across his chest as he glared at the old man. Dumbledore just smiled, like he knew the blond was going to say that but won't affect him because what can Lucius do? He is in charge of this establishment and the Board of Governors can't do anything about it no matter how hard he tried. "My parents will too," Diana added in, staring coldly at the old man, irritated that his calm expression hadn't changed.

After a while, the two professors came out and gave Dumbledore a silent shake of their head. Dumbledore frowned slightly as if he was expecting for them to find something in one of the rooms. Diana smirked slightly. _You're a dumb fool, Dumbledore. As if I would keep the stone in my room._ Dumbledore plastered a grandfatherly smile as he silently motioned for the professors to follow him. "We'll let you all go back to sleep. Again, we apologize for disturbing your sleep." The portal door swung shut once they left, leaving the students to silence.

"Damn old man." The older students grumbled as they trudged back to their rooms. "You guys go back to sleep, I need to send a letter home," Draco said as he went towards his room to grab a roll of parchment and quill. "Make it as horrible as it possibly can," Diana said with an evil grin. Draco had an identical grin. "Of course, that's what I'm here for." Hermione, Daphne, and Pansy silently shook their head and walked back to their dorm. "Weirdos." They said in unison.

March, Wednesday

Dumbledore was sitting quietly in his office, signing documents for Merlin knows what with the previous headmaster/headmistress yakking away in the background when the door to his office swung open as Lucius and Stepan came storming in. "You have some nerve, Dumbledore," Stepan growled. "How dare you storm into my daughter's room and look through her possessions!" The portraits in the room were baffled by this and shouting their refusal to believe such 'slanderous' lies.

Dumbledore sat back in his chair and placed his folded hands on his chest, his expression calm as ever. "Mr. Ivanov, I assure you, it was within my right as the headmaster of this school to do impromptu searches of the students' rooms. Check with the members of the board. They will tell you the same thing." Dumbledore's calm demeanor was ticking off the two men.

"I checked with the Board of Governors, you old fool. None of them would agree with what you did." Lucius said in an icy voice, his gloved hand gripping his cane tightly. "Narcissa and I have half a mind to remove our son from this institution and enroll him in Beaubaxton for the next school year." Dumbledore paled slightly at this. Rumors will spread if two children from some of the top most influential pureblood families were to leave Hogwarts suddenly and the public would start questioning him.

Dumbledore was suddenly pulled out of his thoughts when Stepan slammed his hands down on his desk, glaring down at him. "Mark my words, Dumbledore. The next time I get an owl from my daughter about something similar to this, that will be the _last_ time you will ever harass my daughter." The old man could hear the threat in his voice but he wasn't going to back down now. No one makes Albus Dumbledore back down.

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair with a fake somber expression on his face. "Gentlemen, please be reasonable. Don't make such hasty decisions. I only did that to rule out any of the students who could have stolen a prized possession." He said, trying to make his actions more justified to the eyes of the men. "And I assure you, Dumbledore, you will be receiving a letter from the Board of Governors," Lucius said coldly before placing a hand on Stepan's shoulder. **_"Poydem, nam luchshe vsego po puti." (R)_** (Come, we best be on our way.) The Russian reluctant followed the blond older male out of the office, leaving Dumbledore to deal with the confused paintings.

May, Thursday

"Aahh, last exam of the year." Daphne groaned out with a smile as the gang plopped down on the dining table in the Great Hall for dinner. They had just finished their Charms exam and were officially done for the rest of the school year. None of them looked too concerned with what their final grade was going to be since they knew they practically aced the exam. "Now we just have to wait for our grades to come in the mail," Draco stated, finally relaxing from all the studying they were doing. **_"_** ** _As-tu déjà entendu quelque chose de ton père?" (F)_** (Have you heard anything from your father yet?) Theo asked as more and more students came filing in, just finished up with their exams as well.

Diana shook her head. **_"Non. Sévère a dit qu'il a_ _peut-être trouvé quelque chose impliquant la pierre philosophale_ _ **,** mais il ne l'a pas encore confirmé."_ _(F)_** (No. Severus said that he may have found something involving with the Philosopher's stone but he hasn't confirmed it yet.) She said with a soft sigh. **_"_** ** _Je suis sûr qu'ils vont trouver quelque chose." (F)_** (I'm sure they will find something.) Pansy said as she gently patted her hand on the table. The rest had a vague idea of what the adults were doing but it was all a surprise for the Riddle children.

June 1st

A dimly lit chamber was filled to the brim with Death Eaters, a clear aisle down the center of the room, all of their attention on the large bubbling cauldron in the front of the room. Tonight was the night. Severus and Lucius stood at the front with Bellatrix standing off to the side, though no one wanted to tell her that their master didn't ask her to stand amongst the ones he wanted to see first. Their master requested that they would be the first person to greet him when he was revived. "Wormtail, bring him up." Lucius barked out to the open. A pitiful squeak could be heard from the very back of the room and a hunched form stepped out from the shadows, carrying a bundle in his arms.

Wormtail was shaking as he trudged to the front of the room, avoiding from looking down into the bundle in his arms, not wanting to look down at the deformed body of his master. With a shaking hand, he transferred the bundle into Severus' arm. "Hurry Severus, I've been without my proper body for far too long." A raspy voice said, causing some of the Death Eaters to shiver. "Yes, my lord," Severus said with a bow of his head before looking across at Lucius and gave him a silent nod of his head. The blonde male confirmed with a nod of his own as he pulled out his wand from his robe.

"Tonight, we have all gathered here to see our Lord come back to his rightful place in our world. May all of your enemies quiver at your feet." Lucius said in an almost theatrical way as he set up the mood of the situation. "Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son!" Lucius said as he pulled out an object wrapped in a white handkerchief from his robe pocket. With thin and nimble fingers, he unwrapped the handkerchief to reveal a human femur, still coated with mud from the grave it came from. Lucius dropped the bone into the boiling water, causing the water to bubble up more.

"Flesh of the servant, willingly sacrificed, you will revive your master," Lucius said as he drew out a sheathed knife from his pocket. This next part was crucial. In order for the regeneration potion to work, it needs a body part or an organ from a willing servant. Except neither Lucius or Severus wanted to give up their limb or organ even though they thought of Voldemort as a close friend. That's why they had Death Eaters on the lower ranks for a reason. "Wormtail." Lucius drawled as he motioned for the low-life to take the knife. Wormtail turned deathly pale once he realized what the blonde male was subtly trying to say. "I-I wouldn't. I'm not worthy of giving my flesh to the Drak Lord." He laughed nervously, beads of sweat forming on his blotchy pale face.

"You're what?! You're going to have this _worthless_ scum sacrifice an arm for the Dark Lord?!" Bellatrix shrieked out, her face bright red with fury. "How dare you give the Dark Lord such _filth_! Our Lord deserves anything but the best and as the last member of the noble house of Black, _I_ will be the one!" She said, making small steps towards her brother-in-law. Wormtail looked like he was agreeing with the deranged woman and was about to let her do whatever she pleased when Lucius cut him off. "Oh, I have no doubt about that, dear Bella, but Wormtail? Shouldn't you sacrifice your arm for our Lord? We all know how _very little_ you have done for our cause and our Lord would be most displeased."

Wormtail's eyes widened slightly at this, despite the smirk on Lucius' face. His eyes shifted side to side while deep in thought before he gulped loudly and nods. "F-Fine...I'll does it." He said, reluctantly. "Good," Lucius said as he hastily placed the sheathed knife into the rat's hand, ignoring the obvious displeasure from Bellatrix. Wormtail unsheathed the small knife with shaky hands. He stuck out his left hand and held the knife tightly with the other. He looked deathly pale as more sweat appeared on his brow, his breathing labored as he willed himself the strength to carry out his next task. Wormtail repeated the line that Lucius had said before squeezing his eyes shut while lifting the knife high above his head.

The knife made a whooshing sound as it cut through the air before connecting with his arm. A low thud could be heard as his hand fell to the floor followed by a bellowing cry as Wormtail fell to the floor on his knees, cradling his bleeding arm as he whimpered in pain. Lucius bends down to pick the knife off the ground, using the handkerchief to wipe away the blood before storing the knife back into his robe. He had plenty of handkerchiefs at could afford to soil one or two of them. With his wand, Lucius levitated the offered limb and placed it into the bubbling cauldron, watching the liquid turn to a dark color. A putrid smell began emanating from the cauldron but none of the Death Eaters made a face.

"Blood of the children, lovingly taken, your body will return as it once was." Lucius then pulled out a small glass vial of Diana's and Christopher's mixed blood from his robe pocket. He uncorked it and slowly poured it into the dark liquid. Dark smoke was now rolling out of the cauldron as the liquid turned to a dark maroon color when the cauldron suddenly shattered into pieces.

The maroon colored liquid spilled onto the floor, causing the Death Eaters to scramble back to avoid touching it as a human shape formed from the liquid. Black smoke rolled down his form, pooling at his feet as a strong burnt blood stench filled the room. Everyone in the room stared in awe and nervousness as the naked form of Lord Voldemort stood in front of them. His youthfulness was most shocking especially for his followers, his black hair luscious as ever.

Lucius produced a black robe from nowhere and draped it over his shoulder. "Welcome back Tom." The blonde male said softly as the other Death Eaters got down on one knee and bowed their head. "We are forever your humble servant! Long live the Dark Lord!"

"My lord," Bellatrix said, her cheeks suspiciously flushed as she walked over to him and got down on her knee. "I've been waiting on hand and foot for your return, my Lord." She said as she looked up at Voldemort with admiring eyes before she reached out to gently take his hand and gently kissed his knuckle. A cold smile appeared on his lips. "I am pleased, Bella. Rise." He said and the woman staggered back up on her feet, face bright red from his compliment.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

Diana raised an eyebrow when she saw both Stepan and Valentina waiting for her on the King's Cross platform when she stepped off the Hogwarts Express. Usually, it was Valentina who greeted her since Stepan worked at the Ministry and doesn't have time to leave his desk. **_"Chto ty zdes' delayesh', dyadya? Razve vy ne zanyaty v eto vremya?" (R)_** (What are you doing here, Uncle? Aren't you usually busy at this time?) Stepan had an amused pout on his face. **_"_ _Chto, ya ne mogu priyti k odnoy iz moikh lyubimykh devushek?" (R)_** (What, I can't come see one of my favorite girls?) Diana grinned and gave both of the adults tight hugs.

 ** _"Prikhodite, vash brat zhdet nas doma. Krome togo, u nas yest' syurpriz dlya vas oboikh." (R)_** (Come, your brother is waiting for us at home. Plus, we have a surprise for the both of you.) Valentina said, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. Diana perked up slightly at the thought of a surprise. **_"_ _Eto khoroshiy syurpriz?" (R)_** (Is it a good surprise?) Stepan chuckled as they walked towards the designated apparition point. **_"O, eto ochen' khoroshiy syurpriz." (R)_** (Oh, it's a very good surprise.)

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

The door to the study closed with a soft snap as Diana relayed everything that has happened since she had last seen her brother during the winter holidays to her brother as they sat comfortably on the couch. Christopher smirked evilly after she had explained the tasks the trio had to do while retrieving the Philosopher's stone. "And Dumbledore didn't notice the stone is missing?" Diana snickered at this.

"He did but he just doesn't know who took it. He tried scouring the entire school for it but ended up having the Board of Governors down his throat." The two laughed as they pictured the old man sitting at his desk, biting on his fingernails as he tried to think who could possibly take the stone while the possibility of getting sacked loomed over his head. A soft knock on the door disrupted their moment. "Come in," Christopher said as their attention turned to the wooden door.

Stepan peeked his head in as he opened the door, a strange smile on his face. "Your surprise is here." He said and opened the door all the way, stepped aside as if he was letting someone in. The two heard soft footsteps before a tall figure appeared around the door frame. Diana's eyes widened. She had looked at the face so many times but on the picture, Valentina and Stepan had provided for her and her brother. Never had she thought she would actually see that face in real life.

Tom Riddle looked exactly the same before that incident all those years ago, sporting the usual white dress shirt and black dress pants. The regeneration potion was a complete success though the possibility of his features of being the same as before was unknown. His red eyes filled with emotions as he spoke softly in a deep voice, watching his kids slowly stand up from his chair. "Diana...Christopher..." He never thought that he would be saying those two names ever again.

"Father..." Diana and Christopher whispered before they both ran towards the man, right into his open arms as they hugged him tightly. Their bodies shaking slightly as they took him in, soft sobs could be heard coming from Diana. Tom hid his face in their hair as silent tears ran down his cheek, willing himself to not cry. He had to be strong for his kids. None of them noticed that Stepan had left the room and silently closed the door. After a silent few minutes, the man took a deep breath as he pulled away from his kids. He got down on one knee to be eye level with them.

"You two have grown so much..." He whispered, his voice thick with emotion as he reached out to gently wipe the tears off of Diana's and Christopher's cheeks. "You'll be here to stay?" His daughter asked with a small voice, shattering Tom's already broken heart as he looked up at those green eyes flecked with red. "Yes, princess, I'll be here for a long time." His eyes then flickered to Christopher's eyes. "I'm never going to leave you two ever again. I promise you this." The two saw the promise in his eyes and silently nodded.

Diana and Christopher looked over at the door when it suddenly opened slowly accompanied by a soft hiss and something heavy slithering across the floor. They're eyes **_"Ah, Nagini. Done exploring the grounds?"_** Tom hissed softly in Parseltongue. The enormous snake bobbed its head as it slithered over to her master. **_"Is this the young mistress? My, has she grown."_** Nagini hissed as she wrapped herself around Tom, her slit eyes staring at Diana, who didn't waver. **_"Mmmm, she is a strong one."_** She hissed out in approval. "You were only a baby when you met her, Diana, but this is Nagini, my familiar." Diana bowed her head a little to the snake in respect which the snake gladly accept before moving over to Christopher and gently puffed him affectionately on the cheek.

 ** _"Mistress!"_** A small hiss could be heard as Prometheus slithered into the room. **_"There is a giant snake in the house! I can smell it!"_** He practically yelled as he slithered up her offered arm. Nagini had wrapped herself around Christopher's waist and was glaring daggers at Prometheus. "Ah, this must be the snake I gifted you on your birthday," Tom said as he gazed at the black snake curiously. Christopher scoffs as he affectionately petted Nagini on her head to calm her down. He didn't know Parseltongue but he wasn't the slightest bit afraid of snakes and had a slight inkling of what the little snake was hissing about. "Prometheus is a dramatic one. So much like his owner." Diana gave him a mocking glare while Nagini let out a hissing laugh.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

Christopher and Diana have practically glued to their father's side the entire rest of the day. The man didn't seem to mind at all since he was comforted by their presence. "Tell me Severus, has Dumbledore figure out what has been going on?" Tom inquired to the potions master after dinner. They were sitting in front of the fireplace in the parlor room. Christopher and Diana had laid their heads on his lap, having long ago fallen asleep as the man gently ran his fingers through their hair. "No, Tom. I've been discreet during my meetings with him and he bought every word of it." The potions master said smoothly.

"Good. You are excused, Severus. We have a meeting tomorrow and I want _everyone_ to attend." He said in a soft voice. "Very well Tom. Good night." Severus said with a slight bow of his head before heading out of the room to floo back to his own establishment after Tom mumbled a far well to him. A whooshing sound from the floo could be heard and all was silent. Tom looked down at his children, mesmerized about how each of them had a bit of Lily in their facial features. **_"Moy gospodin." (R)_** (My lord.)

Tom looked up to see Valentina had stepped into the room once she felt Severus leave the ward that surrounded the manor. **_"Prikhodite, syad'te." (R)_** (Come, have a seat.) He said, motioning for the woman sit down in an armchair. **_"Blagodaryu vas, milord." (R)_** (Thank you, my Lord.) She said as she gracefully sat down in the offered chair. Tom scoffed with amusement though he tried to act like he was annoyed.

 ** _"Vy tak zhe plokhi, kak vash muzh, Valentina. Vy oba yavlyayetes' odnim iz moikh samykh blizkikh druzey. Nac_** ** _hni nazyvat' menya Tom." (R)_** (You are just as bad as your husband, Valentina. You both are one of my closest friends. Start calling me Tom from now on.) The woman laughed softly at this and nodded. **_"Ochen' khorosho, Tom." (R)_** (Very well, Tom.) The two were silent for a little bit, enjoying the gentle heat coming from the fireplace. **_"Spasibo ... za vse eti gody zabotilis' o moikh detyakh." (R)_** (Thank you...for looking after my children all these years.)

Valentina looked over at the man, a soft smile on her lips. **_"Nam ne nuzhno blagodarit' nas, Tom. My lyubim ikh, kak oni byli nashimi." (R)_** (There is no need to thank us, Tom. We love them like they were our own.) Tom knew that to be true. **_"Vy oba khorosho vospitali ikh." (R)_** (You both of raised them well.) He said with a sigh, a deep regret that he couldn't come back sooner to see them grow up. **_"Teper' u vas yest' vozmozhnost'. Krome togo, vy byli by prekrasnym ottsom dlya nikh. Lili vsegda eto govorila." (R)_** (You have the opportunity now. Besides, you would have been a wonderful father to them. Lily always said this.)

A sad looked appeared in his eyes as Tom looked down at his children again. His children will never know what kind of woman their mother was. **_"Net. Yesli by oni byli vospitany mnoy, u nikh ne bylo by detstva, kotoroye oni imeli s soboy. Lili vsegda govorila, chto khochet, chtoby u nashikh detey bylo normal'noye detstvo. Odin napolnen smekhom i lyubov'yu. YA boyalsya, chto yesli by oni byli so mnoy, ikh by izbezhali emotsiy." (R)_** (No. If they were raised by me, they wouldn't have the childhood they had with you. Lily always said that she wanted our children to have a normal childhood. One filled with laughter and love. I feared that if they were with me, they would be avoided of emotions.) It was the honest truth. With having to deal with Lily's death as well as raising two children, he would have been cooped up in his room most of the time and most likely neglect his fatherly duties.

Valentina tutted and shook her head. **_"YA by ne poverila. Vy oba lyubili detey i Toma, vy sil'nyy chelovek. YA veryu, chto vy spravilis' by s etim." (R)_** (I wouldn't believe it. Both of you loved the children and Tom, you are a strong man. I believe you would have gotten through that.) Tom smiled softly, thankful that someone other than his wife, had faith that he was going to be a good father to his children.

June, Friday

The high-ceiling chamber was deathly silent except for an occasional hissing from two snakes. "This is most disappointing..." Tom hissed softly, his fingers lightly tapping against the arm of the throne chair which had expanded to fit him and his two children as Nagini and Prometheus lounged over their laps to take in their warmth.

The meeting had just started and the Dark Lord was not happy with his subordinates. Only those in his inner circle was safe, who are standing behind the throne chair, their masks off. Masked Death Eaters stood in a formation very much like in the muggle military. No one dared move a muscle as his red eyes scanned over their hidden faces.

Nagini suddenly reared up and whipped her head around to stare at the masked individuals and let out a vicious hiss, baring her teeth to them. Diana reached out to pat her gently to calm her down. **_"What's wrong, Nagini?"_** Diana asked in Parseltongue, causing those in the room to shiver at the sound. **_"I smell fear amongst one of them. They think you should have stayed in your weak form for all eternity, Master." _** She hissed out, her slit eyes staring at someone in the crowd. Tom reached out to gently stroked Nagini on the head, earning a satisfied hiss as she settled back down on their lap.

"An interesting development..." He said, his voice was soft, yet so cold that it could freeze the Anartica. **_"_** ** _Come."_** He hissed out to his familiar, his arm stretched out to her and the large snake slithered up his arm to settle around his shoulder while her tail wrapped around his waist. To the shock of those masked, the Dark Lord stepped over to them. The army of Death Eater suddenly split into halves like the Red Sea and those standing at the beginning of the line forced themselves to not shiver as he walked by them.

"One of you is not happy upon my return," Tom said, eyeing each of his subordinates as he walked by, enjoying the underlying fear written in their eyes, no matter how well they think they are hiding their feelings. Nagini hissed softly, her slit eyes staring at each of them as her forked tongue flicked out, seemingly tasting the air for fear. **_"It's him, Master."_** She finally hissed out, her head pointing towards the direction of the first person standing in the second to last line. Said Death Eater twitched on the spot when he realized everyone was looking over at him, including that damn snake and the Dark Lord. He gulped loudly as he took small steps back, a hand raised up a little in a defense mode.

"Y-You must be mistaken, my Lord. I am forever your faithful servant. I would never think ill of you-" He said as he tried to plead his case but was suddenly cut when the Dark Lord made a slash in the air with his wand. The Death Eater grabbed his neck with shaking hands, a strange gurgling sound coming from him as blood trickled from between his fingers down the top of his hands, his mask disappearing with a puff of black smoke to reveal what he truly looked like. "How pathetic," Voldemort said with disinterest as he watches as the Death Eater crumpled to the floor, still gripping his neck as if he was desperately trying to stop the bleeding, coughing up blood as the red fluid filled up his lungs.

"You're not fit to be called my 'humble' servant." He sneered as he watched the Death Eater took his final breath before becoming still, his blood slowly pooling from under his body. **_"Come feast, Nagini. You too, Prometheus."_** He hissed out and the two snakes slide out of the throne chair and slithered their way to the freshly deceased corpse while the Dark lord tucked his wand back into his pocket. Diana and Christopher got up from the chair and walked over to their father. "Father, what was that spell?" Diana asked as she looked up at him.

 _Some deja vu._ Tom thought as he looked down at his daughter's emerald and red-flecked eyes. "I will once you have mastered nonverbal spell, Princess." He mumbled softly, gently patted the top of her head. Diana pouted at this. "Why can't I learn it now?" She whined.

June, Saturday

The Ivanov Manor was extravagantly decorated as usual as party guests continue to arrive. A party to celebrate the return of the Lord Voldemort. Diana was in an A-line blush pink mini dress with appliqued laces, a pair of 1/2 inch black heels, and her hair was lightly curled and held back with a diamond floral barrette in a half up hairstyle. She stood there with Valentina, Stepan and Christopher, bored as they greeted the guests. Finally, the people she was could talk to started arriving. "Having fun there, Diana?" Pansy snickered.

"Shut up, Pans," Diana grumbled as Hermione and Daphne arrived at the same time, the last remaining two of her friends to come. "Let's go. Everyone one waiting for us." Diana said and excused herself from Valentina's and Stepan's presence, who was having too much fun talking to other adults to really notice, much to Christopher's annoyance since he still had to be there to greet the guest, as the pureblood rules demand. The three girls walked up the grand staircase and walked over to a large room which used as an upstairs 'playroom' as the adults would call it.

"Took you guys long enough," Theo grumbled once they walked into the room. "Hey, blame my mother. She _had_ to try at least 50 dresses before she found the proper one." Pansy said with a roll of her eyes, just as annoyed as he was. Everyone sat down on the brown leather couches, all wonderfully dressed for the occasion and Diana caught everyone up on what has been happening since they had left school. "So how does it feel having your father back?" Draco asked after a bit. Diana shrugged her shoulders. "I don't feel anything different. It always felt like he always been around. I'm just glad that he is actually here in the flesh."

They then moved on to different topics when it finally fell on a topic Diana had never really thought about. "Have you thought about what your mark will look like yet?" Blaise asked. "To be honest with you, I haven't really thought of it. Ever since Father came back, Christopher and I have been spending most of the time trying to make up for lost time with him." She said truthfully. Pansy tutted softly as she pulled out a drawing pad and a special quill that substituted for those muggle art pencils. The short-haired girl was the artistic one out of the bunch. "Come on, you have at least an idea of what you have in mind, right?"

Diana simply nodded. "Come on then, tell me and I'll draw it out," Pansy said with a voice that bared no room for arguments. Not even Diana could get out of this now. "Fine," Diana said with a huff and divulged what ideas she had while the short-haired girl drew out several rough sketches of it. "Interesting idea..." Pansy said, slightly dying down as she made the final touches before turning the drawing pad to face Diana. "You mean something like this?"

Before the others could about to say anything, there was a knock on the door. "Come in," Diana called out, wondering who as at the door. The door opened and her father stepped in, causing everyone to stand up immediately. "Sir." They mumbled, bowing their head. Tom chuckled softly and waved them off, looking extra handsome with that black suit. "At ease. These must be the friends that Diana has told me so much about." The others seemed to blush at the thought that the Dark Lord knew about them. Their parents would have been so proud. "Besides, you all won't be following me once you all become of age. Diana will need followers of her own. Being her friends, I'm sure that won't be a problem?"

"No, sir." They all said in unison. They wouldn't dream of it. Never in a million years. Tom looked satisfied with that answer and smiled. "Come. Your parents are all waiting downstairs. The party is about to start. It certainly won't do for the main guest to be late to his own party."

Late June

The smell of burnt flesh filled the empty chamber that was made into a training room. "Eeww gross..." Pansy said as he covered her nose with her hand. "The hell, Blaise. Warn us the next time you use a nasty spell like that." She said in a huff as the other stopped practicing curses. They had all agreed that they would practice more advanced magic during the summer with the held of the Dark Lord and have taken to practicing on pig carcasses. "Interesting choice of spell, Mr. Zabini," Tom said, standing up from the throne chair. "And Miss. Parkinson, I suggest you get used to the spell. You will most likely see a lot of these kinds of things once you have been initiated."

July, Wednesday

Another Death Eater meeting was in session but no one was talking. Those attending the meeting were those in the Inner circle and Diana's gang. This was certainly a first. What did the Dark Lord want with the kids? No one didn't know what to do and decided to remain quiet until there was a soft rapid tapping against the granite table they were all sitting around. Diana smirked and started tapping away herself, hearing her father chuckle softly next to her. Only those who knew what was going on, holding back from laughing as they caught on what the kids were doing.

This went on for a couple more minutes of continuous light tapping on the table. Most of the parents were smiling at how much fun their children were having with each other, despite the fact that their behavior may be childish and completely rude. This repeated tapping annoyed Yaxley so much that he slammed his hand down on the table top, getting out of his chair, veins bulging in his forehead as he glared at the kids, his beady dark eyes filled with rage. "Stop that infuriating tapping!" Diana glared coldly at the man.

"I would shut up, if I were you, Yaxley. Grown-ups are talking." She sneered in a mocking tone, causing the other kids to snicker as well. "Why you little-" Yaxley's face turned beet red and looked like he wanted to punch her or something when Tom's voice stopped him. "I recommend you think _really_ hard about what you are going to do next if I were you, Yaxley," Tom said coldly, his red eyes staring at the Death Eater as his slender fingers rapped against the wooden armrest of the armchair. "Y-Yes, sir," Yaxley growled out reluctantly as he sat back down in his chair.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

Dark eyes stared into the mirror, staring into the gaunt-looking woman in the reflection. The once youthful and luscious skin was now pale and sunken in, and yet she still looked beautiful. The frizzy black hair had white streaks in it from the grueling times in Azkaban. Those thin lips hummed softly in tune as thin fingers pulled a comb through her wild hair. Bellatrix was in a good mood. Well, of course, who wouldn't be? Her beloved Dark Lord has come back and he still looked as handsome as he was before his supposed disappearance. Her black eyebrows furrowed slightly when she recalled the Dark Lord's wife.

Bellatrix has never seen this woman's face before and she suddenly disappears? She only assumed the mysterious lady has passed away since the baby and kid came back without its mother. Now, it was her chance. It was time to bring back the fame and glory the noble house of Black so rightfully deserve to its fullest potential. Bellatrix is the only one who can be with the Dark Lord. _The only one._


	7. Chapter Seven

[A/N: Thanks to those who like my story and those who subscribed to it~! I'm so happy that some many of you enjoy reading it. I'm currently writing another one shot, this time a Drarry one so please wait for that. As usual, the foreign languages in this story are translated from Google Translate so, please let me know if something seems off. And as always, please, comment, subscribe and favorite my story and stay tuned for the next chapter~!]

Chapter 7

 ** _"Tom?" (R)_** (Tom?) Valentina's voice called out from behind the double doors that lead into the main office as she knocked on the dark cherry wood door. She heard silence even though she knew the man had walked in here hours ago and she hadn't heard him leave either. Valentina decided to go in any way. At first, all she saw was the flickering fireplace in what looked like an unoccupied room. A light frown graced her light facial features as she took a step deeper into the room.

Her eyes fell on to a lump of mass laying on the couch once her eyes got used to the darkness. A light smile appeared on her lips once she realized what the mass was. Tom was laying on his back with Diana and Christopher tucked under each of his arms. The trio had fallen asleep after having another long talk about Merlin knows what. It was truly a sight to behold. The moment was interrupted when she heard footsteps enter the room from behind her. She quickly turned around to see Stepan and placed a finger on her lips, signaling him to be quiet before he let out a sound from his lips. She smiled as she pointed towards the couch. Stepan frowned slightly and stepped lightly towards the said couch.

Her husband held back a chuckle at the sight as they both had an identical smile. Valentina then reached out to grab ahold of his hand. **_"Priyekhat'. Prishlo vremya, kogda my vklyuchim i noch'." (R)_** (Come. It is about time we turn in for the night as well.) With a small flick of her wand, a blanket suddenly appeared out of nowhere and was gently draped over the sleeping trio. The couple silently left the room without waking them up, closing the office doors with a soft click.

July 31, Wednesday

"Minerva, have you gotten a hold of Quirinus?" Dumbledore asked, his voice strained. He was feeling a migraine forming as he massaged the bridge of his nose. "Unfortunately no, Albus."Minerva's head was floating in the Floo, the green flames under her head were casting weird shadows on her worried lined face. "Where could the blasted man have possibly gone off to?" Dumbledore snapped heatedly, slamming the side of his fist down on his desk in frustration. The missing Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was never the same after he came back from Albania. He was becoming more troublesome then he would like.

"I don't know, Albus, but I have gotten a hold with Shacklebolt and he has sent his men to help with the search," Minerva said, her face filled with worry for her colleague. "Very well," Dumbledore said with a sigh. "Keep me posted on the progression of the search." The old coot said. Minerva's floating head bowed and the Floo call was disconnected. Quirrell was a valuable asset to the cause with his knowledge but...his usefulness has run its course and it was a coincidence that he happened to go missing...

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Ah, you have arrived just in time, Severus. Come, have a seat. We are just about to eat." Tom said when his friend stepped out of the fireplace. The potions master had a stoic facial expression as he did as he was told, joining with Malfoy's, Ivanov's as well as some other Death Eaters and Diana's friends. "My apologies for my tardiness, Tom. Dumbledore has the other professor running around looking for our friend, Mr. Quirrell." He said with a drawl. This caused the dinner guests to laugh softly as their dinner was delivered to them by the house elves.

"Knowing the Board of Governors, they will force the old bastard to select another Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Has he told you who he will pick next?" Tom inquired as the sound of eating utensils clinked softly in the background. Severus had a sour look on his face as he paused cutting into his steak momentarily. "Do you remember a Gilderoy Lockhart? The arrogant Ravenclaw in our year?" He said as he continued cutting his piece of steak. All was silent before Tom burst out laughing, his booming laugh seemed to fill the room.

"Who is he?" Diana inquired once her father had calmed down. "He is a low-life, arrogant man who lives his life in the theatrics and lies," Tom said, not noticing that everyone at the table had stopped eating. "The old fool thinks that having Lockhart would cement once again the public's belief that he is an amazing wizard. However, Lockhart will just chip away at the public's faith in him."

August, Tuesday

Diana sat curled up in the armchair next to a window as she read one of the many books she had received for her birthday when a large owl swooped down to perch on the window ledge. The owl didn't look familiar to her. Soft hoots could be heard as Diana stood up and walked over to the window. The owl let out another cheerful hoot before sticking out the leg that had a small scroll tied to it. Diana untied the scroll and the owl remained in its position. "Interesting..." She said to herself when she recognized the Longbottom family crest imprinted on the red wax seal.

 _Dear Miss. Riddle,_

 _Since the winter break, my grandmother and I have been contacting with Severus, but I'm sure you already know that. The reason why I am contacting you know is that Severus has informed me that there will be a Death Eater meeting. If what you said to me on the train back to Hogwarts is genuine and true, I will be expecting my chance to exact revenge. Leave your answer with Harold. I will be waiting for your response._

 _-Neville Longbottom_

"Wait here," Diana said to the owl, leaving some owl treats for it before leaving the room with the letter. **_"And you don't have permission to eat him."_** She said towards Prometheus, who had a look like it was scowling and hissed moodily. She walked down at the many corridors until she finally made it to the door of the room that her father would usually be seen in at this time of day. She rapped her knuckle against the hardwood before hearing the muffled sound of her father's voice from the other side of the door. "Father," Diana said as she walked into the room. "Yes, Princess?" Tom said, turning his attention from the book he was reading. "I have a letter here that I want you to read." She simply stated as she walked over to her father.

Tom raised an eyebrow as he took the letter from her hand and unfolded the letter to read it. A smirk plastered on his lips once he reached the end of the letter. "Very interesting indeed..." He said as he folded the letter back up. "Send him a response that you will fulfill his demand and give him the time and location of our next meeting. To think that I will meet Alice and Frank's son so soon." He said the last part in a far-off look like he was reminiscing an event in the past. "Yes, Father," Diana said.

August, Friday

"Have any of you gone shopping for your books yet?" Hermione inquired. The gang has occupied the couches of the parlor room, waiting for their last guest to arrive. They scoffed and shook their head. "We still have time, Mione. Besides, I heard our 2nd year Defense Against the Dark Arts books is a joke and a complete waste of our money." Blaise said, rubbing the finely-manicured nail of his thumb against the side of his forefinger. Diana smirked as an idea popped into her head. "We should burn our books in front of him. I bet he's going to be a blubbering mess about his 'precious books'." The others grinned evilly at the thought and began placing bets on how their Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher would react when a house elf popped into the room.

"Young Master Longbottom is here, young mistress." It said with a low bow, its giant ears barely caressing the carpeted floor in the process. "Thank you, Scab. You may go." She said and left the room alone while the others took the que and decided to wait for her by the door to the meeting hall. Diana walked down the hallway to a small room that was reserved for the Floo only to see Neville standing nervously next to his grandmother. "Ah, Mr. Longbottom. Madame Longbottom. I'm so glad that both of you have decided to come. All of the Death Eaters have arrived." She said as she motioned for the two to follow her.

"E-Everyone?" Neville squeaked, his face turned pale at the thought of some many evil eyes staring over at him. Diana looked back at him over her shoulder with a raised eyebrow. "Of course. If you want to seek revenge, you should have everyone attending so they would know not to mess with you in the future." She said in a matter-in-fact tone. Not soon after, they have arrived at the door where the gang was still standing, who was looking at Neville with a little look of respect in their eyes for his bravery, though crazy. "You ready?" Diana asked the frightened looking Gryffindor.

Neville gulped loudly before taking a few deep breaths, his eyes closing for a second before opening back up to reveal hard chocolate eyes. "I'm ready. Before we go in, Grandmother, you should go wait for me in the Floo room. I fear, if you were to come with me, I would lose my nerves." Neville said without looking over at the elderly lady. Augusta contemplated on this before giving a firm nod. "Very well, Neville. I will be waiting for you." She said as Diana mumbled something. Suddenly, the same house elf from before appeared. "Young mistress call Scab?" It squeaked out. "Take Madame Longbottom back to the Floo room and make sure she is well taken cared of," Diana said. "Yes, young mistress." The elderly lady gave her a slight bow of her head and followed the little house elf.

"Thanks," Neville said once his grandmother was out of earshot. Diana smirked as she made a hand motion to the door and it swung open by itself. "No need to thank me, Neville. I have a feeling we will close friends after tonight." She said as she stepped first into the room filled with Death Eater standing neatly in rows, the others smirked as they followed her, except for the Gryffindor. "Don't lag behind, Longbottom." Draco drawled out, snapping the Gryffindor out of his thoughts. Low murmurs filled the room, all inquiring the fact that an outsider, who _clearly_ didn't belong, had entered their secret meeting.

"So good to finally receive you and your friends' presence, princess." Tom's voice echoed as the group stepped up the small group of granite stairs where the throne chair was situated in the middle of the platform. The Death Eaters snickered in delight despite the fact the Dark Lord's voice didn't sound menacing or mad "My apologies, Father. We were waiting for our remaining guest." Diana said as she placed a soft kiss on her father's cheek before moving stand next to the chair, Christopher standing on the other side as the gang moved to stand on the edge of the platform. Tom's eyes flickered over to the look at Neville who had remained on the bottom of the stairs who was looking nervous once again but his eyes remained hard.

"You must be Neville my daughter has told me about..." He said silkily, his red eyes seemingly scanning the boy. "Come here." He said, motioning the Gryffindor with two fingers. Neville walked up the stairs with shaky legs, much to the amusement of the other Death Eaters and annoyance of Nagini and Prometheus who were laying on the floor next to the lit fireplace. Neville stopped right in front of the Dark Lord, his eyes looking down at his feet. A pale hand reached to gripped his chin and he was forced to look into Tom's eyes. "Hm, strong eyes and strong intent...very much like your father and mother. Good." He said as he let go of Neville's chin. "So, Neville, I heard that you are here to seek revenge...on one of my Death Eaters."

"I-Its true." Neville managed to stammer out, causing the Death Eaters to cackle so much that some of them had lean on their neighbor to keep from falling down. A wimp like this kid wants to take one of them down? Pfft, in his dreams! "Silence." Tom hissed softly, sending immediate chills throughout the meeting room, his ruby eyes staring hard at his subordinates. "You should not be laughing. This boy has more courage and guts than any of you _combined_." No one laughed. They could tell he was dead serious.

"Bellatrix, come forward." He said after a little bit of silence. The Death Eaters looked over, watching as the crazed woman stepped out from the lines of the Death Eaters, stumbling a little in her shoes she walked towards the stairs. "My lord." She said in a voice that was attempted to sound like from a lover as she curtsied to him. "Bella, are you my most faithful servant?" Bellatrix looked up at the Dark Lord with wide eyes as if what he was asking her was outrageous, her dark eyes swimming with tears as she placed a hand on her left bosom right where her heart is. "My lord, I don't know what I have done to make you question my loyalty but rest assured, as the remaining member of the Black family, I will forever be your servant."

Tom's ruby eyes turned cold as he looked down at the woman. "Oh, I have not doubt of that, Bellatrix but, let me ask you this. Do you follow my instructions when I give them?" The crazed witch looked up at her master once again in confusion. What was he getting at? "Of course, my lord." The Death Eaters looked at each other in identical confusion. "Is that so? Then why did you attack the Longbottoms when I repeatedly told you they were not to be harmed?" Everyone visibly shuddered at how cold the Dark Lord's voice got, catching Bellatrix off guard especially. "W-What do you mean, my lord? I-I assumed you wanted them gone-"

"No, I didn't! _Crucio_!" Tom yelled as he got up from the throne chair and Bellatrix dropped on to her side, writhing in pain as pained screams filled the room. The curse only lasted for a few seconds, leaving the witch panting on the floor, her body twitching slightly as she tried to recover. "M-My lord..." She said breathlessly as she tried to get up on her wobbly feet. "My apologies, Neville," Tom said after giving Bellatrix a cold glare and turned to face the quiet Gryffindor who's attention was on Bellatrix. "I will ket you handle the rest." The Dark Lord said and sat back down in the throne chair.

Realizing that the Dark Lord just gave him the reigns to do whatever he wanted, Neville fidgeted on the spot, unsure of what to do and turned to look over his shoulder at Diana. Tom hid a smirk as his daughter went to stand behind the Gryffindor. Neville was caught off guard when a small hand went over his eyes, his vision incased with darkness. "Are you sure you want to go through with this, Longbottom? You're practically shaking like a leaf." He heard Diana mumble close to his ear. "Yes, I am. Now quit stalling and tell me what I need to do." Neville snapped in a soft voice. He heard Diana chuckle softly but the hand around his eyes didn't go away.

"I want you to relax take a deep breath." He heard her whisper and he did as she said. "Good. Now I want you to think of Bellatrix and what she did to your parents." Neville stiffened when she said that. Think of what that crazed bitch did to his parents? Anger flared up in his eyes as mental pictures of his parents writhing on the floor as repeated cruciatus curses hit their body. "Now, imagine Bellatrix screaming, writhing on the floor. Screaming in agony by your hands, begging for mercy just like your parents did." Diana said in a whisper. She saw Neville clench his teeth at the end of his wand that was down by his side shot mini sparks from the magic coursing through him.

Diana smirked as she moved her hand from his eyes, revealing dark chocolate eyes that was encased in so much hate, it almost looked black. The Death Eaters were taken back with the intense stares the Gryffindor was displaying as he took deliberate slow steps down the steps towards Bellatrix, who had just gotten back on her feet. It has been years since she had felt that crucio since the night her master was defeated. The crazed witch noticed the cold look on Neville's face but it seemed to not faze her because she started cackling. "Is itty bitty baby Neville going to hurt me? You won't be able to do anything me! Just like your worthless parents! I bet-"

" _CRUCIO!_ " Neville yelled and a red light shot from his wand and slammed into Bellatrix, causing her to crumble to the floor and writhe violently on the floor. as her screams echoed in the meeting room. Suddenly the Death Eater scrambled away from the writhing woman as if she was contagious and they didn't want to catch whatever she had. Neville watched as the woman before him writhed in agony, just like his late parents did. He wanted to watch her suffer for hours like his parents did. He wanted to make her more insane than she already was and she would join his parents in the mental ward of St. Mungo's. The witch was under the curse for a few seconds before a hand from next to him reached out to gently touch his wand hand pushed it down to point on the granite floor.

Neville looked over at Diana standing next to him with an evil smirk on her lips. "It's better to torture them in intervals. It gets them hoping that would the last one every time you stop to have their wishes dashed." Neville stared at her for a bit with wide eyes, like he wasn't comprehending what she was saying before a rather Slytherin smirk appeared on his lips. "Good to know. Thank you, Diana." He said before shouting crucio at Bellatrix once again. The witch's screams almost masking the sound of Diana laughing softly before she disappeared.

 ** _"_** ** _Il a l'air de s'amuser." (F)_** (He looks like he is enjoying himself.) Draco said when Diana moved to stand with the gang. **_"_** ** _Bien sûr. Je t'ai dit que c'était une bonne idée de le laisser venir." (F)_** (Of course. I told you it was a good idea to let him come.) Diana said with a cocky grin as they continued to watch the Gryffindor torture Bellatrix. After a little bit, Tom stood up from the throne chair, his voice could be audible over the hoarse screams. "As much as I enjoy the show, Neville, I still have a use for Bellatrix." He said with an amused look on his face.

Neville immediately stopped the curse, his wand had falling limp on his side. The room was deathly silent except for the sound of the Gryffindor's heavy breathing and Bellatrix's ragged breathing. The curse required a lot of energy, plus the fact he was only a second year, the spell weighed heavily on his small young body. Before anybody else could say anything, Neville stumbled backward and fell on the stairs on his bum, sweat began forming on his forehead. Tom frowned slightly and silently motioned for Severus to go check on the Gryffindor.

The potion master knelt down in front of Neville and carefully inspected him. In outward appearance, he looked fine, minus the sweat but that was perfectly normal when a magical person performs a powerful spell that is usually meant to be performed by adults. His skin was slightly pale but, again, that was normal. Severus performed a simple diagnostic spell and everything else was fine. The only thing left was to check the eyes. The potion master tilt Neville's head back which was very easy since the boy was practically feeling like putty at the moment. Severus's eyes widen slightly at how dark Neville's eyes were. He produced a gentle light from the tip of his wand and used it to examine his eye better.

Severus silently ended the spell, stood up and walked back over to his master. He got to the side of the throne chair and whispered into Tom's ear. The Dark Lord smirked and nodded before waving Severus to get back in line. Tom then looked over at his daughter. **_"Printsessa, tvoy drug zdes' ispytyvayet ostryye oshchushcheniya ot pytok lyudey" (R)_** (Princess, your friend here is getting a thrill out of torturing people.) Diana grinned and turned to talk silently with the gang, surprising them that the usually docile Gryffindor had this hidden talent in him.

Neville fumbled onto his feet, feeling like his legs were jelly as he made his way over to the gang. "Take me back to my grandmother. I have to talk to her." He said with a tired voice. Draco hissed at the way he talked so disrespectfully towards her and was about to give the Gryffindor a piece of his mind but Diana stopped him with a hand. "Very well. We'll escort you back." She was about to turn around to leave, the gang splitting in half to let her walk through first when she remembered something. She turned back around to face Neville, a smirk on her lips. "Neville, where are your manners?" She said in a mocking chastising tone. "What do you say to Bellatrix who _graciously_ lend her body for you to practice."

The gang laughed softly as Neville went along and turned back around to see Bellatrix being helped to her feet by two Death Eaters though they were having much difficulty. "Thank you, Bellatrix. You've been an _excellent_ test dummy. Maybe I should come back to practice some more." He said coldly, giving her a mocking tilt of his head. The group laughed and left the meeting room, followed by the sound of Tom laughing as Bellatrix was sent off to the infirmary to get treated. "Diana, I performed one of the three Unforgivables. Oh, Gods, the aurors will know that I performed the cruciatus curse. Surely they will throw me in Azkaban." Neville said, his face quickly turning pale at what he did. Diana laughed as she looked back at him over her shoulder. "Don't worry. Ivanov Manor is protected with a non-detectable charm that prevents the outside from knowing that we perform illegal spells in here."

"Are you alright, Neville? Your hand is shaking." Pansy said with a look of concern the moment they arrived in the hallway that the door to the meeting room was, gently taking a hold of his shaking wand hand. Neville flushed bright red at being address by her as well as hold hands with the female. "Y-Yes, I'm fine. "My apologies but I must get back to my grandmother. She is anxiously waiting for me." He said as he gently removed his hand from hers before giving a short goodbye to the gang before quickly walking back to the Floo room. "Neville! Oh, you're alright." Neville was bombarded with a hug from his grandmother. He was shocked for a second because the elderly lady wasn't usually this affectionate but he gladly hugged her back. "Did everything go ok?" She asked once she pulled away, giving her grandson a quick look over for any marks.

Neville smiled as he gently grabbed her hands and held them in front of them. "I'm fine Grandmother. I took care of everything but we can't talk here. I'll give you the details when we get back home." Augusta smiled softly and gently patted her grandson on the cheek. "Very well. Let's get back home."

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Helping him was good and all that, but what happens now? He knows our secret hideout and he knows which one of us are going to follow in our parents' footsteps. He'll rat on us to the Light." Theo said apprehensively when all of them had the opportunity to comprehend what has just happened previously. "Oh, he'll be back," Diana said casually, staring out of the window to view the enormous lawn with flowers outlining it. "As the muggle say, once you have tasted a drug, there is no going back." She said."He'll be craving for the adrenaline." No one noticed Pansy smile slightly. She was beginning to like the shy Gryffindor.

August, Tuesday

"Scab," Tom called out. The house elf appeared with a loud pop. "Master Tom called Scab?" It squeaked out. "Where is my daughter? I haven't seen her or the snakes since lunch?" The Dark Lord inquired. "They must be out in the garden, Master." The house elf said, pointing its tiny bony finger towards the backyard. Tom nodded and walked towards that direction as the house elf disappeared with another loud pop. The sun was still high up in the air despite the fact it was getting close towards dinner, not a wisp of wind in the air as they garden displayed all its beautiful splendor. Tom knew Lily loved being out here. He shared the same feeling.

Tom spotted his daughter laying on her back on the grass, shaded by the giant willow tree with the two snakes lounging on top of her. As he stepped closer, he noticed that Diana had fallen asleep, causing him to chuckle at sight. Tom knelt down and gently shook Diana, not waking up the snakes in the process. "Princess, wake up. You should sleep out here." Diana's eyes furrowed as she let out a soft groan. "I don't want to wake up..." She said sleepily. Tom tutted softly and gently brushed away the strands of hair off of her eyes, a soft smile on his lips. "If you are tired, come sleep inside."

Diana groaned softly again before lifting both of her arms up with her eyes still closed, indicating for him to lift her up. "Carry me then..." Tom scoffed and did as she asked, causing the snakes to hiss in protest as they tumbled off of her onto the ground. Diana buried her face against his neck as he held her securely around his arms. He turned his head to place a gentle kiss on her temple before started walking towards the house. **_"Come, Nagini, Prometheus, I have a tasty treat for the both of you."_** The snakes let out a pleased hissed as they slithered behind the tall male. **_"Go down to the dungeon. Your treat is waiting down there."_** Tom instructed once they have arrived back into the manor. Nagini hissed and lead the way, Prometheus slithering behind her as they headed down to the dungeon.

Tom was about to carry Diana to the living room to lay her down on the couch when he saw the door to a room swing open and his son came out cursing in an annoyed voice. "What's wrong son? You're in a bad mood." Tom stated in a soft tone as he walked towards Christopher. His son had a slight pout on his face as he gripped his wand a little tighter. "I'm struggling to perform a curse that my professor will teach us the upcoming term. I tried different ways but it still isn't coming out right." Tom chuckled as he walked past to get to the living room. Christopher was so much like his mother. Always trying to learn the spells before everyone else did. "Perhaps you need to practice it on a living person. I'll help you, son. Let me put your sister on the couch."

He gently laid Diana on the couch in the living room, making sure her head was on the pillow. He drew out his wand and produced a blanket out of midair and draped it over her. He silently looked down at his sleeping daughter before leaving the living room. "Alright. Come, show me what this curse is." Tom said as he walked back to Christopher, placing a hand on his shoulder as they walked towards the door leading down just as they heard a distant male scream from the dungeons below.

August, Friday

"Come along now, children. We best get going or else everything will be sold out." Lucius said as they strolled through the busy street of Diagon Alley, Narcissa walking next to him elegantly as ever. The Malfoys agreed to escort the gang to purchase their required books this year. Their first stop was Madam Malkin's to get new robe sizes. Might as well get the most time-consuming part over with first. Madame Malkin had to temporarily close the shop to get through everyone before letting the public back in. The gang left the shop with several new robes for school and events.

Their next stop was going to be Flourish & Blotts but upon seeing the enormous crowd in the shop, had them passing for later. They hit Eeylops Owl Emporium, Scribbulus Writing Implements, and the Quality Quidditch Supplies before returning back to the bookstore. The store wasn't as crowded as earlier but still, there was still an unbelievable amount. The gang and the Malfoys sneered at the obnoxious poster hanging on the inside of the window, displaying a grinning male on there and the words 'Get your books signed by Gilderoy himself!' in bold letters on the bottom. "Dear Merlin..." Lucius said with a scowl.

The gang followed the adults into the shop and the sound of giddy conversations met their ears. The storekeeper had to fight his way through the throng of people to meet them. "Second years?" He said breathlessly as he got in confirmation, his facial expression haggard from the activity. "You'll find the books you need at the back. For Gilderoy's books, you'll need to stand in line." He said before lumbering away to attend to another customer. "You children stand in line for your books. The others can be ordered." The gang nodded, liking that idea since no one wanted to waste their energy fighting through the excited Gilderoy fans to get their other books.

The line was moving at a snail's pace, annoying the gang to the core. They had better things to do then waiting in line for a bumbling idiot to sign his books. Fortunately, the Minister who was standing next to Gilderoy for some unknown reason, noticed Lucius and Narcissa off to the side, looking more annoyed then the kids were. "Ah, Lucius! Good to see you, my good man." Fudge said with a jolly smile on his round face as he walked over to shake hands with Lucius. "Narcissa." He kindly said as he tipped his bowler hat towards the woman. "What brings you here, Cornelius? Why is a man like yourself standing next to a man like Gilderoy? Its an utter waste of your time." Lucius asked with a drawl, looking down at the Minister with his nose tilt up.

The Minister didn't seem to notice this and laughed heartedly. "Always the observant one, you are Lucius. I dare say, the man himself requested me to stand by his side. I also find this event utterly wasteful but, being the appointed Minister of this country, I must attend to my people's needs." He said with a sigh before he noticed the gang was standing in the incredibly long line. "Children, children don't stand in line. Give me a moment to get them." The minister walked back to Gilderoy and whispered something in his ear as the gang looked puzzled and stepped out of line per gesture from Lucius. The bumbling man came back with stacks of books floating next to him.

"Here you go, children. The required books for each of you. Signed as well. Share no expense." He said as he passed out _Gadding with Ghouls, Breaking with the Banshee, Holidays with Hags, Travels with Trolls, Voyages with Vampires, Wanderings with Werewolves,_ and _Year with the Yeti_ to each of them. Diana had to stop herself from cringing at the book titles. _How inventive._ She thought as the gang thanked the minister. Cornelius gave out another hearty laugh before excusing himself to head back to the table Gilderoy was standing behind.

"Come, children lets get you all back home. This trip has taken much longer then I would like." Lucius said and with a flick of his wand, all of their books were shrunk down to half their size, which was small enough to fit in their robe pocket before walking towards the door with his wife in hand. As they were leaving, another family was just coming in. "Good day Arthur." He drawled out as he stared down at the Weasley patriarch. Said man looked flustered as he stood taller, looking Lucius straight in the eyes. "Good day, Lucius." He gritted out.

Lucius gave a smug smirk. "Come, children, let us be off." He said as the gang made steps follow him out of the store, his cane thudding against the floor rhythmically. "Hey, Malfoy, you scared of a little crowd? I thought you thrive in a little attention." The gang stopped walking when they heard Ron's annoying words. Draco looked over at the redhead with a raised eyebrow. "Why Weasley, if I didn't know better, I would think you are stalking me by the way you describe me _so well_." The others snickered softly at his words. Diana was slightly distracted when she noticed the only girl of the large red-haired family, presumably the youngest by the supplies she was carrying was silently laughing at Draco's words. Something was different about this one.

"My companions and I already received our books, courtesy of Minister Fudge himself," Draco said smugly. This caused the redhead to turn red and was about to snap back to gain the family dignity back when the only Weasley girl stepped in. "Give it a rest, Ronald. No-" She said, her arms folded across her chest. "Shut up Gin!" Weasley snapped at the little girl. "You don't get to have a say in this, snake! I can't believe you were even born in this family-" Weasley's mother, a portly woman, gasped in horror and was about to reprimand her son when a flash of purple hit Weasley straight in the face.

They watched in surprise as he fell to the floor and large green bats flew from his nose, cursing as he tried to stop the bats from coming out of his nose with his hand. The Weasley girl tutted and shook her head like she wasn't sure what went wrong. "Oh Ron, you should have kept your mouth shut." She said in a matter-of-fact tone, her eyes gleaming with mischievousness. "Gin!" Weasley's mother finally said after snapping out of her haze at what has happened as she got to her son to inspect hiTheTHe Weasley girl didn't look the slightest bit sorry about what she did to her brother, just shrugging and placed her wand back into her pant pocket.

"Come along now children, we must lingering around these kinds of people," Narcissa said as she started ushering them out of the shop. Diana made eye contact with the Weasley girl and smirks. "I'm looking forward to seeing you next month. You'll be a good addition to the Slytherin house." She simply stated before following everyone out. Ginny smirked. Oh, the upcoming school year is going to be interesting.

August 27th, Friday

"Here Lucius, give this journal to the auction. I have no use for it." Tom said as he pasted the blonde male a worn leather notebook. He and the Ivanovs had an argument on who's side of the family he should change his features into. Valentina won the argument since no one in London knows that she had a brother and Tom was transformed to have a mix of her father and mother. The blonde male nodded and took without a blink of an eye. "Alright, is everyone all set?" Valentina said cheerfully as she walked into the room dressed elegantly and Diana following close behind her.

Diana was wearing a soft pink A-line sleeveless dress that ended just on her knees. Her hair was pulled up into a low bun and had added a flower pin. Valentina was wearing a greyish purple off the shoulder knee length dress with stitched purple flowers around the waist and thin sheer fabric over the purple skirt portion. Her hair was pulled up into a loose french twist, some of her hair towards the front hung loosely to finish the look. "You both look beautiful." Tom complimented as he, Lucius, Stepan, and Christopher stood up to greet them. Valentina tutted at their words but she smiled, still feeling grateful for the compliment.

"Come we best get going or else we will be late." Stepan chimed in. The adults agreed and moved towards the Floo. The floo ignited with green flames and they each walked through, feeling themselves get whisked away to the Ministry building for the event. The auction event was being held on the main floor of the building as they all walked together towards it. People greeted them as they walked by, many sets of eyes admiring them from afar. "Ah, Stepan!" Cornelius said jovially as he gave him a clap on the back and a firm handshake. "Oh, but I must say, Valentina, you get more beautiful by the day!" Cornelius said with a deep chuckle. Valentina laughed as she gave Cornelius air kisses on both cheeks. "Thank you, Cornelius, you are too kind."

Stepan places a hand on Diana's shoulder, bringing the minister's attention down to her. "And I believe you have met my daughter, Natalya?" Diana faked a shy look and curtsied to him. "Nice to meet you, Minister." Cornelius laughed heartedly, his stomach jiggling slightly in his stretched formal suit from the movement. "I don't believe we have had the formal introduction but I have seen your daughter with Lucius' son." He said with a smile as he shook hands with her. "Its pleasure to meet you, Natalya." Cornelius noticed Tom and motioned politely towards him. "And who might this be?" Stepan smiled as he moved to stand next to the Dark Lord and placed a hand on his shoulder. "This is Valentina's brother, Dimitri. He is visiting London from Russia."

The three then got into a conversation about the business happening in the Russian ministry and Valentina gently tapped her on the shoulder. **_"Pochemu by vam ne vstretit'sya s vashim drugom? YA uveren, chto oni zhdut vas po stolu sladostey." (R)_** (Why don't you meet up with your friend? I'm sure they are waiting for you at the sweets table.) Diana nodded and excused herself from the presence of the adults and walked around to find her friends. After a few minutes, she found Hermione, Daphne, and Draco talking together. "Glad you guys actually made it," Diana said as she made her presence known. Soon, more of the gang arrived and they started chatting about unparticular topics when Draco's eyes widen slightly when he looked over their heads.

 ** _"_** ** _Oh, merde, le vieux foulque est là." (F)_** (Oh, crap, the old coot is here.) Before any of them could do anything, they all heard the familiar old voice addressing them. "Ah, hello children. How have your summers been so far?" He asked, a grandfatherly smile on his wrinkled face. No one wanted to answer him but they had to, to keep the facade that everything was alright to the outside. The old man smiled at their fabricated stories and placed his own ideas in there though no one wanted to hear it. Finally, everything came to an end when Stepan and Tom came walking over to them. "Children, there you are." He said, his voice calm but his eyes roaring with anger as he looked over at Dumbledore.

"You parents are looking for you. Run along." He said and the kids left the scene to find their parents except for Diana and Christopher. "What are you doing Dumbledore? Bugging your students again before the school year even starts?" He asked coldly as Diana and Christopher moved to stand next to Tom. Dumbledore laughed in an old man fashion and shook his head. "You're mistaken, my dear boy. I was merrily asking the kids a simple question. Plus I couldn't help but notice your son so I wanted to introduce myself to him." Tom gritted his teeth and squeezed Christopher's shoulder, grateful that the old man didn't notice. "I'm watching you, Dumbledore. **_Priyekhat'. Tvoya mat' zhdet nas._** " **_(R)_** (Come. Your mother is waiting for us.)

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

A first-year half-blood Ravenclaw arrived back in her home holding a leather-bound notebook tightly in her hands. "Thank you, father." She said, grinning widely as she practically bounced on her toes. Her parents chuckled as her excitement. "Alright love, you better get going to bed. It is _way_ past your bedtime." The first-year pouted. "Alright, but can't I stay up a little longer to write my first entry in my notebook?" She asked with a silent pleading look in her eyes. Her parents looked at each other, smiles playing with their lips before they finally relented. "Alright but not too late you hear? You are ok to tuck yourself to bed?" Her mother asked. The first-year nodded and she gave her a big fat kiss on the cheek. "Alright, love. Good night."

The first year said good night to her parents before practically running to her room. She quickly removed her dress and lounged it over the armchair before changing into her pajamas. She hopped onto the bed fully clothed for bed after turning on the lamp on the bedside table. She grabbed her new notebook and a inkwell pen before opening the book to the first clean page. The nip of her pen scratched against the page. She only managed to write 'Hello, New Journal, I'm Helena' when another set of ink writing appeared underneath her writing. "Hello Helena, I'm Tom."


	8. Chapter Eight

[A/N: 40 Favorites and 70 Followers~! OMG, thanks so much, guys! I'm so happy that so many of you are enjoying the story so far and I hope you guys will remain so to the end~ If you guys aren't aware, I just uploaded my Drarry one-shot 'Dancing with the Dark Heir', so please go check it out if you haven't read it yet. As usual, the foreign languages in this story are translated from Google Translate so, please let me know if something seems off. Just in case if any of you have noticed, I copied Lockhart's lines from the book because I can't remember it word for word. And as always, please, comment, subscribe and favorite my story and stay tuned for the next chapter~!]

Chapter 8

September 1st

 ** _"Tout le monde est là?" (F)_** (Is everyone here?) Diana asked over the cheerful murmurs of the people on the 9 3/4 train platform. She saw heads nodding once they had made a mental count of those there. **_"_** ** _Ici, je veux que vous portiez tout ça." (F)_** (Here, I want you all to wear these.) Diana said as she passed each of them a plain thin silver ring. **_"_** ** _Nous allons utiliser cela pour communiquer les uns avec les autres en code Morse. Chaque anneau est équipé d'un charme d'identification. Placez une goutte de votre sang sur l'anneau et il va changer à la couleur de votre noyau magique. Vous seul pouvez utiliser cette bague, donc si un imposteur ou quelqu'un a votre bague, il alertera chacun d'entre nous. Si l'imposteur arrive à connaître le code Morse, nous le saurons." (F)_** (We'll use this to communicate with each other in Morse code. Each ring is equipped with an identification charm. Place a drop of your blood on the ring and it will change to the color of your magic core. Only you can use that ring, so if an imposter or someone has your ring, it will alert the each of us. If the imposter happens to know Morse code, we will know.) The gang immediately stowed their ring into their robe pocket. No need to attract attention out here in the train platform where Dumbeldore's spies lingered. They gave her a silent tilt of their head as a 'thank you' just as the sound of the Hogwarts Express blaring out its horn.

"Let's go," Diana said and the gang gave their parents a final kiss goodbye before rushing to board the train. They all found a compartment at the back of the train and settled into the comfy booth chairs with the compartment door locked and secured so no one could look in on what they were doing. The next few minutes were spent with fingers being pricked and blood dropping on to the silver rings. In the end, Diana got emerald green, Draco got white, Daphne got chocolate brown, Blaise got navy blue, Hermione got blood red, Theo got amber orange, and Pansy got gold yellow. The gang placed their ring on their right middle finger and then talked to each other about nothing in particular. Halfway through the train ride, a light knock could be heard and Draco stood up in a middle of a game of wizards chess to open the door. "Ah, Longbottom, we've been expecting you."

Diana heard the blonde male say and she looked towards the door to see Longbottom stepping into the compartment, looking more slimmer and more built than the last time they met, those chocolate eyes harder. "What's this, Longbottom? You've changed from the last time we met." Diana asked with a smirk on her lips, leaning the side of her head against her knuckles, her arm propped up against the window sill. Longbottom clear his throat when he realized everyone else in the compartment was staring up at him. "Well, I have to be strong if I'm going to destroy Bellatrix for what she did. Plus the spell..." Diana smirked as she looked over at her seated comrades. **_"_** ** _Je t'ai dit qu'il serait avec nous. Il aime la course." (F)_** (I told you he would be with us. He enjoys the rush.)

Longbottom's cheeks flushed slightly once he figured out what she was saying. **_"_** ** _Est-ce mauvais que je veuille la torturer encore et encore?" (F)_** (Is it bad that I want to torture her over and over again?) The others grinned evilly and shook their head. **_"_** ** _Ne vous inquiétez pas, il y aura beaucoup de mannequins d'entraînement à pratiquer avant de vous venger." (F)_** (Don't worry, there will plenty of practice dummies for you to practice on before you exact your revenge.) Diana smirked in delight as Longbottom caught her meaning. Pansy stood up with a smile on her face as she gently grabbed his hand. "Come, sit, Neville. You are one of us now."

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Merlin, Longbottom is _good_ ," Draco said in slight awe when the gang bid the Gryffindor farewell before they stepped into the castle and they noticed Longbottom had put on his 'meek and harmless' self that most of the students were accustomed to seeing. Diana scoffed as the gang followed the herd of students into the castle towards the Great Hall for the Start-of-the Year feast. The students separated into their house tables once they arrived in the Great Hall and soon the high-ceiling room was filled with joyous conversations. "Dear Merlin, it's that stupid pompous idiot again," Draco growled mid breath as he looked over the staff table in the front of the room. The rest of the gang looked up to see what the blonde was talking about and saw a familiar male face acting all high and mighty while talking to the other professors. They all groaned slightly as they imagined how useless their Defense Against the Dark Arts classes was going to be.

The double doors to the Great Hall swung open and Professor McGonagall came in with a line of first years following behind her. "Look, it's that Weasley girl from the bookstore." Pansy pointed out as a girl with red hair walked in towards the back of the line. The Great Hall became silent as the first years stopped towards the front of the room where the Sorting Hat was sat on the wooden chair. "Step forward when I call your name." The Transfigurations professor said as she unrolled a roll of parchment.

One by one, the first years were called out and were sorted, the chamber was filled with clapping from their respected houses. "Ginerva Weasley." Professor McGonagall finally said. The same red-haired Weasley girl walked up to the stool and let the Sorting Hat plop on top of her head. The students were expecting for the hat to say that she will be in Gryffindor like her brothers were before her, but no, they were sadly mistaken. "Slytherin!" Everyone gaped at the Weasley as she hopped off the chair and made her way over to the Slytherin, which was standing at their feet, clapping to greet their new housemate. "Nice to see you again, Ms. Weasley," Diana stated as she sat down next to her. "Please, call me Ginny. I've been waiting all summer to finally break the Gryffindor streak in my family." Ginny said with a smirk as Dumbledore stepped up to the podium and gave his usual speech.

"Your brother looks like he is about to explode," Draco said in a hushed voice, a grin on his face as he leaned over slightly to see the Gryffindor table. Diana and Ginny looked over their shoulder to see Weasley's face was indeed very red from the pent-up anger and it got worse when Ginny flashed him a smug grin as Dumbledore told them to dig in. The gang and Ginny turned their attention to the food and sparked up small conversations when a voice from clear across the room hollered to them. "You fucking snake! I hope Mom and Dad disown you! You're an embarrassment to the Weasley family and I hope you never come back to the house!" Weasley's voice echoed in the chamber and all conversations have ceased, well except for the Slytherin's table. Ginny turned to look at her brother, looking like her brother is the saddest creature in the world. "Ronald, can't you see I'm having an intelligent conversation with my friends here? Having a conversation with _you_ is going to kill my brain cells." The students from all four houses snorted as some tried not to laugh with their mouth full.

Weasley's face got beet red and was about to stand up, a menacing look on his face when Professor McGonagall bustled over and forced him to sit down with a threat of a weeks worth of attention which then caused his twin brothers to smack him on the back of the head. "I like her. She got guts." Draco whispered to Diana. She had to agree. With the end of that fiasco, the Great Hall returned to its usual boisterous self for the rest of the meal.

September 2nd, Tuesday

Diana and the gang walked through the corridor towards the Great Hall for lunch, noticing that there were a quite a few students surrounding the announcement board. "Ah, it must be the sign-ups for Quidditch tryouts," Blaise said when he eavesdropped on two students passing by talking about if they would get into the team or not after the try-outs. "Are you going to try out, Diana?" Draco asked. She already knew the blonde male was going to join since they all have a love for the wizarding sport. "Of course. My father wants to see me play." Diana said and they both wrote their name on the sign-up parchment. Blaise, Theo, Crabbe, and Goyle decided to join as well, all very good in Quidditch. "I have a feeling we're going to be a formidable team this year," Diana said with a smirk as they left the area towards the Great Hall.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

Tom sat in a winged-back chair with Nagini laying comfortably on his lap, a roaring fire in front of him to warm up the office. Thin pale fingers gently caressed his snake's nose, hearing her hiss contently as many good and bad memories went through his mind. Suddenly a thought came into his mind, a thought that he knew would be crucial to his return to the wizarding world. With his wand, he levitated the big snake of his lap, laying her on the floor in front of the fireplace before making his way over the dark oak desk that the Ivanvos graciously lend to him. He pulled up a drawer to see a certain item wasn't there. Panic started setting in as he quickly opened each desk drawer, hoping to see the item in one of them.

"Lucius!" He yelled out, slamming the last desk drawer when he couldn't find that item that he was looking for. The door to the office opened and Lucius stepped in. "Yes, Tom?" He asked, looking slightly concerned at his lord's frazzled looked. The Dark Lord leaned over his desk, resting his hands on the cool surface to look at the blonde male, his red eyes hard. "Did I give you black leather notebook, Lucius?" The blonde male looked slightly confused but answered anyway, his head bowed slightly. "Yes you did, my Lord. You told me to bring it to the Ministry Auction gala to sell it off." Tom hissed at his own stupidity, his eyes turned darker red as his finger curled into fists, scraping his nails against the oak desk. Lucius heard that hiss and assumed he had done something wrong and immediately got down on his knees. "Please forgive me, my Lord. I-"

"Don't gravel, Lucius." Tom hissed as he moved to sit heavily in the desk chair, glaring half-heartedly at the blonde male. "There is no need to apologize. You were doing what I commanded of you despite that the fact the command was absolutely stupid of me." Tom quickly grabbed a blank sheet of parchment and quickly scribbled on it before rolling it up which was immediately sealed closed with wax with the Ivanov's family crest imprinted on it. "Send this to my daughter. She and her friends will get this during breakfast. They are the only ones we can count on at the moment." He said as he passed it to Lucius.

September 3rd, Wednesday

"Diana, this is for you," Draco said as he passed the rolled up letter to her before untying the medium sized package from his mother. "Thanks." She said as she took it, breaking the wax seal and started silently reading it as the students in the Great Hall ate their breakfast. She frowned slightly as she reached the end of the letter and crumbled it up into a tight ball. "Who was it from?" Draco asked as he sipped on his pumpkin juice. "My father," Diana stated as she grabbed a slice of toast. "He wants me to find a black notebook." The gang raised an eyebrow, all actions of eating paused. "What makes your father think the notebook is here in Hogwarts?" Pansy asked in a whisper. "Wouldn't Dumbledore have found out about this notebook?"

The gang then turned to look towards the front of the room where the staff table was situated. Dumbledore looked his usual self, acting like the doting friend to his colleagues. "No...I don't think he knows. If he did, Aurors would be here surrounding the castle." The gang went silent, all forgetting about their half-finished breakfast. "So, what do you suggest we do, Diana?" Hermione asked. Diana took a moment to look at her friends before answering. "The only clue my father gave me is that the leather notebook is black. We're going to keep an eye out for the notebook." The other nodded as the students in the Great Hall stood up to head to their first class of the day. "If any of you find it, you know what to do." The gang silently nodded and got up as well to leave the Great Hall.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five times winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award. But I don't talk about that; I didn't get rid of the Banden Banshee by smiling at him. I will be your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor until the end of the school year." Diana rolled her eyes at his arrogant words and overly exaggerated smile. The girls from the Gryffindors watched him with utter admiration, goofy smiles on their faces and swooning as Lockhart flashed them a dazzling smile. The ring on Diana's finger suddenly got slightly warm as a message came through, noticing that the rest of the gang was feeling this as well. **_"_** ** _.. .-. - / -.. -.- .. -. -. / - - / .-. ..- -. -.-. ... / - ... .- - / ... - .. .-.. . / - ..-. ..-. / ... .. ... / ..-. .- -.-. . .-.-.- / . ...- . .-. -.- - ... .. -. -. / .- -... - ..- - / ... .. - / ... -.-. .-. . .- - ... / ..-. .-. .- ..- -.. .-.-.-"_** (I'm dying to punch that smile off his face. Everything about him screams fraud.) The gang ducked their head as they hide smirks, knowing that Mione was glaring daggers at their professor. The ring was becoming very useful.

 ** _"_** ** _.. / .- .-.. - - ... - / ..-. . . .-.. / -.- .. -. -.. / - ..-. / -... .- -.. / ..-. - .-. / - ... - ... . / ..-. - - .-.. .. ... ... / -. .. .-. .-.. ... / .- ... - / - ... .. -. -.- / - ... . -.- / -.-. .- -. / - .- .-. .-. -.- / - ... .. ... / .-. - - .-. - ..- ... / .. -.. .. - - .-.-.-"_** (I almost feel kind of bad for those foolish girls who think they can marry this pompous idiot.) Blaise said. They stopped when Lockhart walked by each desk, handing out a piece of parchment paper. "We're going to have a pop quiz to test if any of you have read my books. You may start when you recieved your quiz." The rest of the class groaned. A pop quiz on the first week of the school year? **_"_** ** _.-.. .. -.- . / ... . .-.. .-.. / .- . .-. .-. .-. . / -.- - ..- / -. - .. -. -. / - - / .-. . .- -.. / -.- - ..- .-. / -... - - -.- ... .-.-.-"_** (Like hell wer're you going to read your books.) Diana bites back a snort from coming out as she got the copy of the pop quiz. _What kind of questions are these? What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite colour?_ _What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition?_ _What, in your opinion, is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement to_ _date? You have got to be kidding me. Theres three pages of this?!_

Diana looked over at Hermione who was to be her desk partner for the entire school year and saw her already diving into the quiz. Diana looked back down at her quiz and started writing random answers down because she didn't even bother reading the book. After fifteen minutes of quill scratching, all of the quizzes have been returned and Lockhart began looking through all of them, tutting slightly. "I'm slightly disappointed that most of you didn't get my favorite color right. It's violet. No matter, we have a whole school year to really get to know one another." He said in a jovial tone. "Now let us start with _Gadding with Ghouls_. Turn to the first chapter and I want you to read the first two paragraphs."

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Now I want you to feast your eyes on the covered birdcage in front of the room," Lockhart said as he walked down the middle of the room to stand next to the covered birdcage which was rattling on the stool that it was placed on top of, muffled high pitch cackling could be heard from underneath the cover. "Now – be warned! It is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizardkind! You may find yourselves facing your worst fears in this room. Know only that no harm can befall you whilst I am here. All I ask is that you remain calm." The Slytherins raised an eyebrow at the sudden dramatic change to his demeanor, trying to achieve the spooky vibe which didn't affect them while the Gryffindors bought the act. "I must ask you not to scream," said Lockhart in a low voice. "It might provoke them."

With a sharp flick of his wrist, the covers whipped off to reveal a cage filled with Cornish pixies, causing half of the class to gasp dramatically. The blue creatures hissed at them with wide grins, making bizarre faces all the while. The light seemed to have riled them up, causing them to rattle the cage violently with their toothpick arms. Diana rolled her eyes as Lockhart spoke in a smug voice. "Yes, _freshly caught_ Cornish pixies."Well, they're not – they're not very – dangerous, are they?" Seamus Finnigan choked out. "Don't be so sure!" said Lockhart, waggling a finger annoyingly at Seamus. "Devilish tricky little blighters they can be!"

'Right then,' Lockhart said loudly. 'Let's see what you make of them!' And he opened the cage with a flick of his wand. The class started screaming as the Cornish pixies shot out of the cage and began barreling towards them. Books and objects in the room started flying and breaking as the Cornish pixie proceeded to cause mayhem. Diana and the gang were handling themselves well, forming a circle with their backs facing each other as they shot spell after spell at any incoming pixies. _"Peskipiksi Pesternomi!"_ Diana heard Lockhart bellow out while waving his wand, but nothing happened. She let out a hiss when she saw the bumbling idiot run into his room like a scared cat. "That bastard... _Immobulus!_ " She yelled out.

A blue light flashed in the classroom and the Cornish pixies were left floating in the air with a dazed look on their faces. The students quickly looked up when they noticed the attacks have stopped, Lockhart had stuck his head out of his room to see what has happened. With a flick of his wrist and a strong voice, Draco made the Cornish pixies go back into the cage. The sound of the little metal latch closing had everyone give a sigh of relief. "Bravo!" Lockhart said as he walked out of his room, clapping as if he planned this to happen. "Very good, you seven." He said as he motioned to the gang. "Ten points to Slytherin. Oh, gracious me, look at the time. You best start heading to your next class. Don't worry I'll have everything back to their proper places."

September 5th, Friday

The gang met each other in one o the corners of the corridor and started walking in the same direction. **_"_** ** _Ça fait deux jours et je n'ai toujours pas trouvé ce cahier." (F)_** (It's been two days and still hasn't found that notebook.) Diana said with frustration. The others looked at her sympathetically but also didn't have any answers for her. **_"_** ** _Peut-être devrions-nous lui donner quelques jours de plus." (F)_** (Perhaps we should give it a couple more days.) Daphne suggests as they made their way towards the Quidditch field. "Hm, perhaps you are right, Daphne. I need something to take my mind off of this mindless hunt." The gang smirked at her words as they see the Quidditch field in the distance. They stepped into the stadium to see those who are trying out for the Slytherin Quidditch filing on to the field.

The gang split up, those going to try out headed to the locker room to change while the remaining headed to the spectators stand to watch the tryouts. They changed into the green sweater jersey, cream-colored pants, and brown riding boots before heading out to the filed with their brooms. Diana had received her broom through the mail from her father, a letter saying that the Nimbus 2000 used to belong to him and now being passed down to her. "So you all want to try out, is that correct?" Flint, the Slytherin Captain, said as he started pacing in front of them, his blue eyes carefully examining them as he walked by. Apparently, there was a large attendance this year. "Unfortunately, half of you will be denied. Those who don't meet the cut will be denied. You each will be carefully observed and if you meet the team's requirements, you will be accepted." The Slytherin captain said before calling out those who wanted to try out for the keeper position to stay on the field while the others move to stand on the side.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

It was getting close to sunset when it was finally the seeker's turn. Diana was competing with there other people for the position. Flint took out a Golden Snitch from the Quidditch chest as they mounted their broom. "Catch the snitch. Whoever catches it first gets the spot." Flint said and tossed the snitch up in the air before it disappeared with a blink of an eye. "Go!" Flint shouted and they shoot off the ground. Diana quickly swiveled around, her red flecked emerald eyes quickly scanned the air, trying to catch a glimpse of the Golden Snitch. After a few seconds, a bright flash caught her eyes and she shot after it. She could hear the others following after her as she skillfully flew through the air. _Come on...faster!_ She thought, mentally urging the broom forward, reaching out to grab the snitch as she got up the right behind it.

The moment the cool object was in her grasp, a sharp whistle echoed through the air and everything stopped. "Good. Ivanov, your our new seeker. Everyone, you will your results tomorrow." Flint said ass the seekers touch down on the ground. "Tryouts dismissed." There were soft groans as the players started leaving the field, heavy feet thudded against the ground. "Good job, Diana," Draco said as they were joined by Blaise, Theo, Crabbe, and Goyle. "Those older kids didn't have a chance against you." The Italian said, enjoying the fact that the older students couldn't best the second years. Diana smirked as they arrived in the locker room. "The same goes for you four. Those older students didn't even come close to either of you."

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

The Slytherin common room was relatively quiet with the only sounds were quills scratching on parchment paper, soft rustles of pages being turn, and the soft pops from the ignited fireplace. "Merlin, this assignment is getting more ridiculous by the minute," Hermione said in an annoyed voice as she twirled her quill between her thumb and forefinger, glaring down at the _Gadding with Ghouls_ Lockhart wanted them to base their essay on. "This book is full of rubbish." The brunette finally snapped and slammed the book shut. The gang was sitting at the same table as her, snickered at her reaction. "We _know_ Mione," Pansy said. "That's why none of us are going to do it. Why should we when none of the facts are remotely true." The others nodded in agreement. Hermione sighed deeply once she realized she was losing a fight and leaned back in her chair, a little upset at her current situation.

The gang held back from laughing, knowing the brunette would soon forget about this. Diana was too busy reading a book she had borrowed from the Restricted Section when a low hissing disrupted her thoughts. **_"Kill...Kill them all..."_** Diana's head immediately turned her head to look at the walls, the voice sounded so loud, it could have been right behind her. "What's wrong Diana?" Daphne asked with the gang's attention was on her now. Diana frowned slightly as she looked over at them. **_"_** ** _Vous n'avez pas entendu ça?" (F)_** (You guys didn't hear that?) They raised an eyebrow and leaned closer against the table. **_"_** ** _Écoute quoi, Diana?" (F)_** (Hear what, Diana?) Draco asked, looking just as concerned as everyone else.

 ** _"_** ** _Un grand serpent." (F)_** (A large snake.) Diana said in a low voice, turning to look at the wall briefly once more as if she was making sure she didn't see anything. **_"_** ** _Il y a une bande de serpents ici, Diana. Cela vient probablement de la Forêt Interdite." (F)_** (There are a bunch of snakes here, Diana. It probably came from the Forbidden Forest.) Theo stated, confused as to why she was suddenly concerned about a mere snake that could have ventured into the castle. **_"_** ** _Non, il semblait plus grand et plus vieux. La voix semblait être à l'intérieur de l'école quelque part..." (F)_** (No. It sounded bigger and older. The voice sounded like it's inside the school somewhere...) Diana said with a deep furrow on her face.

October 24th, Sunday

It has been raining on and off all day and luckily, the weather was on their side. "Come, Professor Snape just gave us a written permission to use the Quidditch field," Flint said, holding a roll of parchment as they headed out into the fall weather towards the Quidditch field. "Flint, what the hell are you doing?" Diana sees the captain of the Gryffindor team, Oliver Wood stormed towards them with his team following right behind him. "Gryffindor has booked the field for an hour," Flint smirked and showed him the rolled up parchment. "Professor Snape gave us a written permission to use the field right now. Check for yourself." Wood snatched the roll of parchment paper, unfrilled it and read it quickly. His face looked like he was sucking on a lemon and crumbled it up and that was when he realized the Slytherin's team was mostly made up of second years. "What happened to your players from last year?"

Flint looked over his shoulder to look at his new team. "Oh, those people couldn't hold a torch against these second years." Diana noticed Weasley had peeked over his captain's shoulder and huffed before stepping around Wood to stand in the front, having a very smug look on his face. "I bet you lot paid to get into your position." Finnigan pipped right after, walking up to stand next to Weasley. "Yeah, unlike all of you, _we_ actually got into the team on _pure talent_." The Irish said in a taunting voice, clearly thinking that his words would hurt the Slytherins. Diana, Draco, Blaise, Theo, Crabbe, and Goyle laughed and Diana took a step forward towards Weasley. " _You_ think you can beat us in skill, Weasley?" She asked incredulously.

Draco snorts as he stepped to stand right next to her, his arm lounged around her shoulder. " _Please_ , with that _pathetic_ thing you call a broom? We can circle you all more times then you can score." He said with a sneer as he nudged at Weasley's broom with his shoe. **_"_** ** _Ehi Draco, parla di Ginny e scommetto che esploderà come un pomodoro." (I)_** (Hey Draco, mention Ginny and I bet he'll blow up like a tomato.) Blaise snickered behind them which caused Draco to have a wicked smirk on his face, causing Weasley to go red on the face since he couldn't understand what they were saying but he had a strong feeling that they were talking about him. "Ah, that's right Weasley, I just wanted to tell you that your sister is enjoying the Slytherin dorms _very_ well."

Like Blaise predicted, Weasley turned beet red at the mention of his sister and he immediately whipped out his duct tapped-wand from his Quidditch robe, pointing it straight at Draco with fury in his eyes. "Eat slug, Malfoy!" Before any of the Slytherin could whip out their wands, a bright flash of green erupted from the tip of Weasley's wand, but instead of shooting straight at them, the green light briefly enveloped the wand it was made from. Weasley flew backward and landed on his back on the cold hard ground. The Slytherins laughed as Finnigan ran over to check if his friend was ok which was quickly changed to grossed out looks as Weasley started puking slugs.

The Gryffindors started freaking out as they watched in horror as Weasley grew pale on the spot. Diana bent down to pick up Weasley's wand and tutted loudly as she picked at the portion of the wad that was crudely put back together with wizarding tape. "My my Weasley, you should really have your wand checked out. _Thank Gods_ that spell didn't hit one of us." The Slytherin team cackled as they turned around to leave, Diana smirked as she tossed the wand back down on the ground.

October 25th, Monday

Apparently, someone had ratted on Weasley sometime last night because breakfast was very entertaining. It all started when the morning owls arrived and the Daily Prophet. The gang received treat boxes from their parents, Hermione receiving one from everyone, much to her surprise. A large owl swooped into the Great Hall with a red envelope in its claws, catching everyone's eyes as it flew overhead. There was a slight mumble as they watched as the owl made a crash landing in front of Weasley. "What is that?" Hermione asked curiously as Weasley picked up the red envelope with shaky hands. "It's a Howler," Daphne explained. "It's great for angry people to show the receiver how angry they truly are. Like this." She made a hand motion towards Weasley as he broke the wax seal.

An ear ringing female's voice suddenly erupted through the Great Hall. **"Ronald Billius Weasley! How dare you point your wand at another student! Your father and I taught you better than that! And don't get me started on what you're doing to Ginny's friends! One more toe out of line, young man, or we get another letter from school and you'll be coming straight home!"** Everyone's eyes were wide in shock from hearing such a loud voice from a Howler. The red envelope suddenly turned to look towards the Slytherin's table and the voice was gentler this time. "Don't worry about your brother, Ginny dear. I'm sure he will come around soon enough." The letter then turns it's attention back to Weasley and blew a raspberry at him before tearing itself up into tiny pieces.

The Great Hall was deadly silent before it erupted with excited chatter, many laughing at Weasley, causing him to beet red. "Settle down everyone." Professor McGonagall said sternly as she clapped together everyone's attention. "Get back to your breakfast or else you will be late for your classes." Everyone immediately did as they were told, eating but there was still an excitement in their conversation.

October 30th, Saturday

"Um, Ivanov?" Diana looked up to see a first-year Slytherin standing next to her with a slip of parchment paper in her hand, looking nervous from the gang's staring up at her. "Yes?" She asked with a raised eyebrow, pausing from finishing a sentence in her essay. "The headmaster wants me to give you this." She said as she handed the parchment to her before quickly leaving. "What now?" She said with a groan as she read the few lines on the parchment. She sighed in irritation as she crumpled the parchment into a ball. "Damn geezer..." She mumbled, glaring into the burning fire. She was having a nice day but just receiving the note from the old man was ruining the upcoming fun that was to be had during the festive feast for dinner. "What does he want?" Draco asked, look of concern written on his face.

"I'm not quite sure," Diana said, trying to remember if she did anything considered bad to the old man's eyes. Nope, nothing - take that back, she did put a stinging hex on an annoying second year Hufflepuff. "See you guys at dinner." She said as she got up from her chair. The others nodded their head and watched her leave the common room. The corridor on the way to the old man's office was breezy, the sound of the dead leaves rustling on the ground was music to her ears. "Cockroach clusters." She said as she stopped in front of the eagle statue which started turning into a staircase leading up to that familiar wooden door. She walked up the stone steps and rapped her knuckles against the door. "Come in." She heard Dumbledore say from the other side of the door.

"Ah, Miss Ivanov, so glad you could join us. Come, have a seat. Care for a lemon drop?" Dumbledore said with that grandfatherly smile and that annoying twinkle in his eyes. Diana held back the urge to sneer and sat down in the offered chair in front of the desk. "No thank you. Why am I here, Professor? I have quite a lot of homework to do." She said indifferently, her eyes staring hard into Dumbledores. The old man leaned back in his chair, that same smile on his face, though his blue eyes showed some seriousness. "I recently got a complaint that you used a stinging hex on a fellow student. Is that true, Miss Ivanov?" Diana fought the urge to smirk and kept her face neutral. "Yes, it's true." By the way, the old man's next reaction was, he wasn't expecting her to _actually_ admit it this time.

"Why would you do that? From what the student told me, he wasn't doing anything." Dumbledore asked with a frown written all over his face, unnerved by her indifferent attitude. "That twerp was insulting me," Diana said in a matter-of-fact tone as she looks at her manicured fingers. The old man's eyes turned cold as he leaned forwards to lean against his desk. "Miss Ivanov, it's forbidden to use such dark magic on another student. Furthermore, its illogical for a second-year as yourself to learn such spells. I'm going to have another talk with your parents." Diana wasn't sure if the old man was trying to scare her with his threats or not. She sighed and stood up. "Do what you must, Professor, but know this, my parents won't be pleased you asked them to come to the school just for _a spell._ "

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

The Halloween feast was exciting as always except, Lockhart was the one who was in charge of the decoration. Everything was over the top, especially the decorations that seemed to line every possible spot. Goblins were seen roaming around the castle, taking pleasure in scaring whichever students happened to be nearby. "I hear Nearly Headless Nick is celebrating his 500th birthday," Draco mentioned, explaining why nearly half of the Gryffindor house wasn't attending the feast. Diana huffed. "That party sounds better than this disaster." She scowled as she sat down in one of the chairs in the Slytherin table a flurry of bats flapping overhead.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Crabbe, you _do_ realize that they were just teasing you, right? There is no such thing as 'Bloody Mary'. Draco looked over at the lumbering Slytherin with fine eyebrows raised as the gang left the Great Hall as the Halloween feast rolled close to ending. "H-How do you know, Malfoy? In our world, everything is possible." Crabbe stuttered as he looked all around like a paranoid person, fear written in his eyes as they darted from wall to wall. Daphne rolled her eyes. "It's just Muggle rubbish to scare kids into behaving, Crabbe. None of it is possible." Diana was about adding something when she heard that familiar hissing from within the wall, causing her to stop dead in her tracks. Draco noticed her standing taut while staring at the wall and before he could place his hand on her arm to catch her attention, she jolted into action.

"We need to follow it." She blurted out before she started running down the corridor in a seemingly random direction as the other houses started leaving the Great Hall as well. "W-Wait what?!" The gang blurted out from her sudden behavior as they staggered out of their daze to follow after her. "Diana, wait up!" They called after her as they ran to meet up with her in the hallway that was only lit with the torches hanging on the wall. **_"Kill...Kill them all..."_** Diana heard the voice hiss out the same words as the first time as it seemed to be moving away. "Hurry up!" Diana yelled back towards the other as she tried to catch up. Their footsteps echoed in the high ceilings as they rounded several corners.

Diana found herself rounding another corner when she suddenly jolted to a stop, almost causing the gang to run straight into her. "What the hell, Diana," Theo grumbled as they struggled to catch their breath. "Why the hell did...you..." He wavered off as the gang looked up at the wall that Diana was also staring up at where words were scrawled in what looks like blood. **'** **The Chamber of Secrets has been open. Enemies of the heir, beware.'** "What the hell- is that Mrs. Norris?" Hermione asked, her eyes furrowed as she looked at something off in the distance. The gang turned to look at what she was referring to. At first, they couldn't tell what it was that hanging off one of the lit torches, but they finally realized it was Filch's cat. The gang's face turned slightly pale at the sight.

The grotesquely scrawled words filled her mind as she tried to figure out what was happening and she couldn't hear the thundering sound of many sets of feet coming towards them. Loud gasps could be heard at the students arrived at the scene, staring in horror at how dead Mrs. Norris looked. "Moving through, moving through." Filch's voice could be heard as the old man made his way through the sea of students until he came to the front. His face turned extremely pale the moment his beady eyes saw his beloved cat hanging from the lit torch. "Mrs. Norris..." He looked completely devasted before he turned his attention to the gang, pointing a shaking finger at them. "What have you done to her! You set her righ this instant! I'll make sure you will pay for this! Mark my-"

"Mr. Filch." Dumbledore's voice cut off the elderly caretaker as he, Professor McGonagall, and Snape stepped through the sea of students. "Please calm yourself. We will do our best to help Mrs. Norris." He said with a grandfatherly look. He then turned his attention back to the surveying students and made a sweeping motion with his hand. "I suggest you all head to the Great Hall. Prefects?" There was mumbling as the students were slowly lead away by their house prefects. Diana and the gang turned around to leave with their house when the old man stopped them. "Wait, Miss Ivanov. I still have questions for you and your friends."

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Could you be you kind as you explain why you and your friends were at the scene of the crime?" Dumbledore asked, leaning forward in his chair, his blue eyes staring at them from across his desk. Diana placed on an confused face. "I am not sure what to tell you, Professor. We were walking from the Great Hall after the feast and we walking into the scene." The gang nodded, all sporting depressed looks on their faces. Dumbledore didn't seem to buy that explaination. "Miss. Ivanov, your fellow peers have seen you and your friends running away from the Great Hall. If you have witness something, I suggest you tell me now." He said, his blue eyes turning steely.

Diand suddenly shot up from her seat, causing the chair to scrape against the floor as it was pushed back, her eyes blazing. "I don't like what you are implying, Professor. I don't have any answers for you and I suggest you not question my friends either." Snape cleared his throat as he moved to stand next to his students, placing his hand on Diana's shoulder as he looked down at the old man from over his nose. "Miss Ivanov is correct, Albus. My students have had an tiring ordeal. May I suggest you conven this inquiry tomorrow?" Dumbledore clearly looked like he wanted to object and question them further but thought better of it especially since McGonagall was in the room with them.

"Very well." He made a gesture for them to leave. The group was silent as they made their wayto the Great Hall, their footsteps echoed loudly in the empty corridors. "What's going on, Severus?" Diana asked as she looked over at the potion master. Severus had a deep frown on his face. "I am not sure. I will sent him a letter tonight. I get the first patrol tonight so I should be able to disappear for a few minutes undetected." The gang nodded and they stepped into the Great Hall to see the students had already gotten into sleeping bags but neither seemed to ready to fall asleep just yet. "I suggest you all go to sleep. It is going to be a long night." Severus said.

The gang nodded and walked over to the diminished pile of sleeping bag and they each grabbed one. They gathered into a corner to lay their sleeping bags down and crawled in as the prefects yelled that it was lights out. **_"_** ** _Diana, as-tu ouvert la Chambre des Secrets?" (F)_** (Diana, did you open the Chamber of Secrets?) Theo asked in a hushed voice which Daphne jabbed her elbow at his side. **_"Bien sûr, elle ne le ferait pas. Elle avait été avec nous tout le temps. Il n'y aurait pas assez de temps de toute façon." (F)_** (Of course she wouldn't. She had been with us the entire time. There wouldn't be enough time anyway.) Diana was silent as she stared up at the ceiling while the others talked to each other, millions of thoughts raced through her mind. _What the hell is going on?_ She thought as she felt a head ache forming.


	9. Chapter Nine

[A/N: WOW 52 favorites and 83 subscribers~! I'm glad that so many of you like it! To those who just subscribed to my story or 'favorite' my story, thank you all in the bottom of my heart! I'm glad that so many of you are still following me even though things in the story are progressing slowly. I have taken direct quotes from the movie and books, so credits to JK Rowling. As usual, the foreign languages in this story are translated from Google Translate so, please let me know if something seems off. Also, just recently, someone messaged me in my pm about a fanfic request. To be honest with you all, I've never really put much thought into it but, after some time to consider things, I've decided to open up the option. So if any of you have a fanfic request related to Harry Potter, come pm me and we'll figure something out. Without further delay, let the chapter commence and please stay tuned for the next chapter.]

Chapter 9

November 1st, Sunday

"Damn it, it must be the diary." Tom frowned after Diana relayed everything to him once again. They were talking in Severus' chambers in the early afternoon through the scrying mirrors both adult men have, hearing faint conversations coming from outside in the courtyard. "What diary, father?" Diana asked with a confused look on her face. Tom instinctively ran a hand through his hair, something he did when something was troubling him before he began speaking once again. "When I was still attending Hogwarts, I got a diary and I placed a fragment of my soul into it." This only confused Diana even more.

"What was the point of doing that?" She asked, folding her arms across her chest, looking very much like Lily when she did that. Tom sighed, realizing that the topic was going to open more doors and with their current location, they would need to keep their conversations short to not catch Dumbledore's attention. "I did that so I can make 6 Horcruxes to achieve immortality. I will explain it to you when you come home for the winter holidays, alright?" Diana pouted, unhappy that she had to wait to learn about what these Horcruxes are and she reluctantly nodded her head. "Alright."

"Good. It is imperative that you find this diary." He said. Diana huffed, flopping her arms against her side in annoyance. "There are thousands of students in the school. I can't just _waltz_ into the other house common rooms and search everyone." Tom rolled his eyes at her dramatic response. "I have a better method. Just look for someone who has been acting strange lately. The soul fragment in the diary is the seventeen-year-old me and can be very persuasive. With the incident yesterday, my soul has already possessed the person and that is why the Chamber of Secrets has been opened."

November 4th, Wednesday

"Can I have your attention, please? Right, now today we will be transforming animals into water goblets." McGonagall said as she moved to stand next to a rather ugly looking black hornbill perched on a wooden stand. The class mumbled to each other in excitement before they turned their attention back to McGonagall. "Like so. One, two, three. _Vera verto._ " She said as she tapped the blackbird with her wand three times and there was awed gasps throughout the class as they watched the bird transformed into a silver goblet before their eyes. McGonagall looked pleased with their reactions and started walking down the middle aisle. "Now, who would like to go first? Ah, Ms. Ivanov, let's have you try first. One, two, three. _Vera verto._ "

Diana looked indifferent as she tapped her wand three times against Prometheus and spoke the spell clearly. The owl was quickly transformed into a goblet and McGonagall looked very pleased that she got it on the first try. "Very good, Ms. Ivanov. Ten points to Slytherin." The Transfiguration professor was about to move to another student when Weasley spoke out loud. "Big deal. I bet I could do it better then _she_ did." He sneered while glaring across the aisle to Diana. She scoffed but didn't say anything since McGonagall had her attention at the red-head. "Very well then, _Mr. Weasley_. Why don't to you try next then?" Weasley turned red on the face, not thinking that he was actually get called out.

"O-Of course, professor." He stuttered and pulled out his poorly repaired wand, feeling everyone's eyes at him, including McGonagall's sharp eyes. He took one deep breath before tapping his rat with his wand three times and said the spell. The rat started transforming into a water goblet, but it still has the fur and the tail on it. The class snickered at this, causing Weasley to turn deep red on the face. McGonagall had a sour look on her face and she walked back towards the front of the classroom. "That wand needs to be replaced, Mr. Weasley." A hand shot up, catching the Transfiguration professor's attention. "Yes, Ms. Brown?" The Gryffindor looked nervous as she talked. "Professor, I was wondering if you could tell us about the Chamber of Secrets."

The classroom quickly grew silent like the elephant in the room finally reared its heard. McGonagall looked hesitant to answer that question but after scanning over their faces, she relented. "Very well. Well, you all know, of course, that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago, by the four greatest witches and wizards of the age. Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. Now three of the founders co-existed quite harmoniously. One did not." McGonagall stated as she slowly walked back up the aisle, looking down every face staring back up at her, the worried lines on her aged face looked deeper became more pronounced.

"Salazar Slytherin wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. In other words, purebloods. Unable to sway the others, he decided to leave the school. Now according to legend, Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in this castle, known as the Chamber of Secrets. Though shortly before departing, he sealed it until that time when his own true heir returned to the school. The heir alone would be able to open the chamber and unleash the horror within, and by so doing, purge the school of all those who, in Slytherin's view, were unworthy to study magic." No one didn't need to mention who these people were.

"Well, naturally the school has been searched many times. No such chamber has been found." Professor McGonagall stated as if she was trying to ease their fear as she moved to walk back to the front of the classroom once again to continue on with the lesson when one of the Patil twins stopped her with another question. "Professor? What exactly does the legend tell us lies within in the chamber?" McGonagall turned around to face them once again. "Well, the chamber is said to be the home of something that _only_ the heir of Slytherin can control. It is said to be the home...of a monster."

The classroom was deadly silent as those words were processed. There was a monster roaming around the school. The Gryffindor side started shifting uncomfortably in their seats as they were expecting the said monster to pop out from nowhere. McGonagall quickly proceeded back to the lesson but no one could really concentrate on the lesson for the rest of the time.

November 7th, Saturday

Buzz was going around the Great Hall as students ate their lunch two hours before the anticipated Quidditch match with Gryffindors against Slytherins when the giant doors swung open and piles of parents who were there to see the match came streaming in. The last ones to come in was Stepan, Valentina, and Tom. **_"Otets! Mama!_ _Dyadya Dimitriy!_ _" (R)_** (Father! Mother! Uncle Dimitri!) Diana called out, running up to the adults and gave all three tight hugs, catching the professors' attention. She stepped back to look up at them. " ** _Vy zdes', chtoby posmotret', kak ya letayu?" (R)_** (Are you guys here to watch me fly?) Tom smiled and gently caressed her cheek. **_"Konechno, my by ne propustili eto dlya vsego mira."_** _ **(R)**_ (Of course, we wouldn't miss it for the world.) Diana grinned and took a hold of Tom's and Stepan's hand and starts walking the adults over to the Slytherin's table.

 ** _"Eto mesto ne izmenilos'." (R)_** (This place hasn't changed a bit.) Tom said in a soft voice as he looked at the familiar setting, something he couldn't do last year when he had to share Quirrell's body and that stupid turban covering his face. They spent about another half hour in a relatively comfortable atmosphere when Severus stood up from his chair behind the table and made his way over to the Slytherin table. "Excuse me for the interruption but its time for the Quidditch player to head down to the Quidditch field." Diana nodded as she stood up and gave Stepan, Valentina, and Tom a kiss on the cheek. Draco, Blaise, Theo, Crabbe, and Goyle did the same with their own parents and followed Flint out of the Great Hall.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

 _What's this?_ Dumbledore thought as a crowd of people with wizarding cameras had gotten into the spectators stand. That's when he noticed three people standing in front of the crowd, most likely leading the wizards and witches to a good spot. _Ivanov._ Dumbledore growled inside of his head but still kept that grandfatherly smile that always seemed to win everyone over as the group walked towards his direction. "Mr. Ivanov, are the people from the press bothering you?" He said as he walked down from his seat to meet them, interrupting Stepan as he was saying something in Russian to the press. "Ah, Mr. Dumbledore, I hope you and your staff don't mind the press. They came all the way from the Russian _Daily Prophet_ in Moscow."

 ** _"Ne pozvolyayte etoy dedushkanoy ulybke obmanut' vas." (R)_** (Don't let that grandfatherly smile fool you.) Stepan said over his shoulder to no one particular. "Russian _Daily Prophet_?" Dumbledore asked with suspicion in his eyes. "Why would the Russian want to know about a Quidditch game played by students in my school?" Stepan raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Dumbledore, my family is one of the oldest magical families in Russia, meaning my daughter and son are beloved by the magical Russian community. Who am I to not bring them news about her? Now if you will excuse me. We must get moving before the game begins." Stepan said as he bowed mockingly at the old man. The press scuttled after him, leaving Dumbledore behind. The old man frowned. Something was wrong.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

 **"Ivanov has spotted the golden snitch once again with Weasley close behind her! They are tail to tail! Dear Merlin, this is going to be a close call!"** The commentator said over the sound of roaring from the spectator stand. Diana reached out with one hand to grab the golden snitch, urging her broom to go faster. Inching closer and closer, Diana thought she could touch it any second when something hard struck her catching arm, causing her to jerk as incredibly sharp pain shot up that arm as the object crashed into Weasley's broom and broke the wooden broom handle. The stands were filled with gasps and frightened screams as Weasley crashed to the ground. **"Whats this?! A rogue bludger!"** Diana heard the commentary shouted, her head swooning slightly as she groaned, the pain in her arm was flaming hot as she tried to get the broom back in control, seeing in the corner of her the bludger making its way back over to her like it was going to finish the job it started.

Diana gritted her teeth, mustering the pain as she grabbed onto her broom handle with both hands and zoomed after the tiny golden snitch. "Get back here." Diana hissed as she mustered up the strength to lift her broken arm towards the fluttering snitch while her good hand gripped the broom handle. **"Malfoy has gotten another score past Wood! 200 points for Slytherin and 10 points for Gryffindor!"** Diana heard the commentator said over the roar of the crowd as she sped up to the snitch with her broom, her fingers inches from touching its golden surface. Diana leaned further until her chest was practically brushing against the broom handle.

"Yes!" Diana said with excitement as her fingers closed around the golden snitch. Before she knew it, she felt her body tip over her broom handle, having had stretched over the broom handle too far. There were screams from the spectators as Diana's world spun in circles towards the ground. The air in her lungs rushed out of her as she landed on the ground with a grunt, gasping and groaned in pain when she rolled over her broken arm before coming to a stop on her back. She only had a split second when she looked up to the sky to see that blasted bludger plunging straight down towards her to turning to her good side just a smidge to dodge the rogue ball by a hair.

Diana heard the spectators gasps loudly at how close she got to being crushed. Help finally came when the bludger almost crushed her legs if she hadn't spread her legs for a split second. _"Expulso!"_ Stepan shouted as he ran on to the field, Valentina and Tom following close behind with the Hogwarts professors and Russian photographers tailing them, the rogue ball bursting into small pieces. She let out a sigh of relief, still gripping the snitch tightly in her hand. **"Ivanov has got the golden snitch! 350 points to Slytherin and 10 points to Gryffindor!"** The commentator bellowed over the roar from the roar from the Slytherin side of the arena. **_"_ _Dorogoy Merlin, ty v poryadke, vozlyublennaya?" (R)_** (Dear Merlin, are you alright, sweetheart?) Valentina said urgently as they made it to her, the woman gently touch her broken arm, the flashes from the camera flickered rapidly.

 ** _"_** ** _Kto-to, dolzhno byt', iskrivil bladzhera." (R)_** (Someone must have hexed the bludger.) Diana groaned out as she cradled her broken arm against her chest. **_"Der'mo, Dambldor_ _idet_ _." (R)_** (Shit, Dumbledore is coming.) Stepan said midbreath as more people from the spectators' stand arrived at the scene. "Miss. Ivanov, I'm glad that you are not hurt." Dumbledore said in a concerned grandfatherly voice. "Oh dear, it looks like you broke your arm." The old man said with a feign concerned expression and looked through the crowd as if he was trying to find Madame Pomphrey. "Albus, I suggest Miss Ivanov be taken to the Infirmary before we conduct an investigation on the rogue investigation." Severus drawled when he came back from telling the Quidditch players to go to their team locker rooms.

"Let me offer my help, Albus." Lockhart offered, already drawing his wand out from his robe pocket. "I don't think that's a wise id-" Tom stopped mid-sentence when he felt Diana squeeze his arm. _Let him do it._ "Very well, then." Tom relented but the three adults kept by her side as they watch Lockhart walk over to them. "Fear not, I have performed this spell many times. I'll have you all better in no time." Lockhart said with a cheery smile. _"Brackium emendo!"_ Everyone watched with batted breath as a blue light surrounded her broken arm only to see her arm go limp like a cooked noodle as if the bones in her broken arm has disappeared.

"Ah...yes, well, that can sometimes happen. Um, but, uh, the point is, uh, you can no longer feel any pain. And very clearly, the bones are not broken." Lockhart said with feigned cheerfulness as he laughed nervously, the cameras snapping photos like crazy as the man demonstrated the flexibility of her boneless arm by bending it back at the middle of her forearm. Diana had to hold back the urge to snap at the incompetent man and possibly throw in some crucios as the Russian press, gasped in horror at the sight. " ** _Ty syn suka!_** What the hell did you do to my daughter!" _**(R)**_ (You son of a bitch!) Stepan hissed as he got up swiftly and stormed over to Lockhart, scaring the man with his cold eyes as the Russian grabbed him by the shirt front. _Ooohhh boy! This is going to be on the front page of the evening edition!_ The reporters thought as they snapped multiple photos of the altercation. "Now, you listen here, sir! I told you that it sometimes happens like that!" Lockhart blabbered, looking like he could pee in his pants at any moment. "Why you little-"

 ** _"Otets! Bol'no!" (R)_** (Father! It hurts!) Diana suddenly screamed out, grabbing her boneless arm with her other hand, the look of utter pain written all over her face. **_"_ _Skoreye, Stepan!" (R)_** (Hurry, Stepan!) The Russian press quickly snapped photos while glaring over at the old man and the incompetent man as if they were mentally cursing them. Valentina said with a panic as she tried to tend to Diana with Tom. Stepan rushed over, immediately forgetting about the Russian press and the professors. **_"Chto s ney ne tak?!" (R)_** (Whats wrong with her?!) Stepan shouted. Tom quickly lifted Diana in his arms, making sure to not jostle her as he stood up. **_"My dolzhny otvezti yeye v lazaret. Bystro!" (R)_** (We must take her to the infirmary. Quickly!)

"This way!" Severus said urgently, motioning the trio to follow him as he quickly walked towards the exit. Tom and Valentina quickly followed him while Stepan stayed behind for a little bit. The Russian glared coldly at Dumbledore and Lockhart. "You both will pay for this. Expect a letter from my lawyer for the both of you." He snarled coldly before marching after his wife and Tom.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

Diana's laugh echoed in the empty corridor as she still being carried by her father and Valentina still walking with them. "Stupid old man. I hope you shit yourself when you read the Russian _Daily Prophet."_ Tom's laughed boomed in the corridor in utter amusement while Valentina shot Diana a disapproving look. "Language, Diana." Diana flashed the woman a bright smile over her shoulder. "Sorry, Aunt Valentina." The woman couldn't stay mad at her smile for long as the corner of her lips twitched upward. **_"Dambldor ne znayet, chto yego udarit." (R)_** (Dumbledore doesn't know what's going to hit him.) Valentina said with a smirk as the door to the infirmary came into view.

Tom snickered softly as they got closer to the door. **_"Vy dvoye luchshe vkhodite v kharakter, inache nas uznayut."_** ** _(R)_** (You two better get into character or else we'll be found out.) The double doors to the infirmary suddenly swung opened by Madam Pomfrey just as the trio got into character. "Come in, quickly." The elderly medic witch said urgently over Diana's pained whimpers as she rushed them in. The infirmary already had several occupants as Diana was carried to an unoccupied hospital bed. "Is she still feeling the pain?" The adults nodded. "Here." The elderly woman said as she pointed her wand at Diana, drawing swirling motions in the air.

Diana's uniform had changed into her pajamas and Tom gently laid her down on the bed just as Stepan arrived at the infirmary. "Honestly, what was Albus thinking letting Lockhart heal your arm?" Madam Pomfrey could be heard mumbling heatedly as she gathered some potions while Valentina tucked the blanket around Diana as she was propped up against the pillow, the three adults looking very concerned. "You should have been brought straight to me!" Madam Pomfrey raged as she came back with two potion bottles and a goblet and placed them on the bedside table. "I can mend bones in a second-but growing them back-Its going to be painful."

 _At least she doesn't beat around the bush._ Diana thought. "Will my daughter's arm fully heal?" Valentina asked as the old woman poured both of the potions into the goblet. Madam Pomfrey looked at Valentina apologetically as if she didn't mean to upset the Russian woman. "Of course. Don't worry, your daughter is in good hands." She then passed the goblet to Diana. "Drink this. I have mixed Skele-Gro, painless potion in pumpkin juice. Unfortunately, the pumpkin juice isn't going to take away the bitterness." Diana complied and took the concoction. Her face immediately screwed up at the awful bitter taste, making Tom, Stepan, and Valentina chuckle at her facial expression.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

 ** _"_** ** _.- . / .- .-. . / -.-. - - .. -. -. / - - / ... . . / -.- - ..- .-.-.- / -.. ..- - -... .-.. . -.. - .-. . / .- -. -.. / .-.. - -.-. -.- ... .- .-. - / .- .-. . / ..-. - .-.. .-.. - .- .. -. -. / ..- ... .-.-.-"_** (We are coming to see you. Dumbledore and Lockhart are following us.) Diana felt the ring on her finger heat up a little as she felt the gentle taps. She smirked as she went back to reading her Transfigurations textbook. Tom, Valentina, and Stepan had gone about an hour ago after having dinner with her. It didn't take long before the sound of the double doors of the infirmary creaked open and a group of 2nd year Slytherins came strolling in. "Natalya!" Pansy said in a dramatic voice as the gang quickly made their way over.

"Are you ok?" Hermione said with genuine worry on her face as Dumbledore and Lockhart stepped into the infirmary. Draco, Blaise, Theodore, Goyle, and Crabbe had long since changed out of their Quidditch uniform. Everyone had taken a spot along the edge of her hospital bed but were still close enough to touch her. "I'm ok," Diana said with a small smile as she gently cupped her broken arm that was in a sling. She could feel Dumbledore's and Lockhart's eyes on her as her friends talked animatedly with each other about the Quidditch game. "Are you still feeling the pain?" Draco asked, catching the gang's attention back to her.

"It still twinges then and now again. Madam Pomfrey can't figure out what caused it. She might call in a medi-wizard from St Mungo's if the pain is still there in the morning." Diana said rather loudly so Dumbledore and Lockhart could hear across the infirmary. The others fought back a smirk when they realized what she was doing. "If I were you, Natalya, I would sue Professor Lockhart." Pansy sulked in a loud voice, chiming into what she was just doing. Diana fought back an evil smirk. "Oh, I plan to."

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

Diana woke up from the throbbing pain in her arm, the sweat making her pajamas stick to her skin. The painless potion was wearing off. Good thing Madam Pomfrey had placed a vial of painless potion on her bedside table just in case she woke up in the middle of the night. She slowly sat up and grabbed the small vial of painless potion. She struggled to uncork it for a few minutes before succeeding. She drank the liquid in one shot, shuddering at the taste as she placed the empty vial back down on the bedside table. Diana leaned back against the headboard as the potion instantly worked, the throbbing feeling completely gone. She then heard hurried step from out in the corridor and hushed voices getting closer and closer.

Diana quickly laid back down and had her back facing the door just as the double doors swung open to let a group of people in, by the sound of it, talking in a panicked hushed voice as something heavy was placed on a hospital bed. "Get Madam Pomfrey." Diana heard Dumbledore whisper to someone. She heard footsteps walking in and out of Madam Pomfrey's office. She heard a dramatic gasp. "What happened?" She heard Madam Pomfrey whisper. Diana wanted to turn around to see what they had brought into the infirmary.

"Another attack. Minerva found him on the stairs." Diana heard Dumbledore whispered."Who is it?" Madam Pomfrey whispered. "Colin Creevy. There was a bunch of grapes next to him. We think he was leaving the kitchen. I shudder to think...if Albus hadn't been on the way downstairs for hot chocolate - who knows what might have-" Professor McGonagall whispered, her voice trailing off. Diana then heard something getting wrenched out of something. "You don't think he managed to get a picture of his attacker?" McGonagall whispered, sounding eager. The sound of a latch coming undone and the sound of steam shooting up. Diana could smell burnt plastic in the air.

"Good gracious! Everything has been melted!" Madam Pomfrey gasped. "What does this _mean_ , Albus?" Professor McGonagall asked urgently. Dumbledore could be heard sighing. "It means that the Chamber of Secrets is indeed open again." Madam Pomfrey made a sound like she was about to cry. "But, Albus...surely... _who?_ " McGonagall whispered in a shaky voice. "The question is not _who._ The question is, _how_..." Dumbledore said in a low whisper, so low that Diana barely caught the words.

November 20, Sunday

"Albus it has been utter chaos!" Fudge said with obvious contempt as he slammed the latest addition of the evening _Daily Prophet._ "That stunt Lockhart has pulled on young Miss Ivanov is costing our relationship with the Russians!" The pudge man said with a heavy huff, the age lines on his face looked deeper from the mounting stress from the aforementioned event. "I suggest you tell Gilderoy to go to Russia to give a formal apology," Dumbledore said, hiding the urge to roll his eyes at how simple the answer to the solution was. Fudge's face hardened a little.

"Oh, he will be giving his formal apology soon. However, the Russian community wants a formal apology from you as well." Dumbledore looked appalled at this. " _Me_? Why would they want an apology from me? I have done nothing to Miss Ivanov." Fudge shook his head as he got up from his desk chair. "That may be true, but they think that since you hired Gilderoy, you are just the same as him." Fudge didn't look the slightest apologetic as Dumbledore leaned back in his seat, seemingly deep in thought.

December 17, Thursday

"Why are we here to watch _this_ fraud, anyway?" Neville asked Diana in a low whisper, confused. "I want to be here when Severus makes him fall on his ass," Diana whispered in a snicker. A large group of students had shown up at 8 pm to watch Lockhart demonstrate how to duel. "Gather around. Gather around." Lockhart said as he stepped onto the elongated platform that looked similar to a Muggle runway, looking even more ridiculous in that outfit that resembled a fencing uniform with a cape as he walked across to stand on one end. "Can everybody see me? Can you all hear me?" Diana couldn't help roll her eyes when the man said with that ridiculous smile. "Excellent. In the light of the dark events of the recent weeks, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little dueling club, to train you all up, in case you ever need to defend yourselves, as I myself have done on countless occasions. For full details, see my published works."

The crowd let out a swooning gasp when Lockhart took off his cape with a flourish and tossed it towards the students, a fifth year Gryffindor girl ended up getting it, much to the other girls' dismay. "Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape," Lockhart said as he pointed politely towards the unoccupied side of the platform. All heads turned to see Snape step smoothly up onto the platform, soft murmuring could be heard as others wondered how this was going to go down while Severus slowly made his way to the middle. "He has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration. Now, I don't want any of you, youngsters, to worry. You'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him. Never fear." Lockhart said confidently with a smug smile as he drew his wand out while making his way to the middle of the platform to stand face to face with Severus.

The two men's face turned emotionless as they looked straight into each other's eyes, moving their wand in front of their face before flicking their wand back down to their side. They bowed to each other smoothly before turning around and took ten steps in synchronization. They whipped around to face each other again and got into their ready stance. "1...2...3." Lockhart's reaction was slow and Severus took the opportunity. "Expelliarmus!" He shouted and a scarlet colored light shot from his wand, barreling straight towards Lockhart. The light slammed into the man, causing him to let out a shout as he flew backward. Some students winced when he landed on his back hard while some laughed at the sight as Lockhart sat back up stiffly and got back on his feet.

"An excellent idea to show them _that,_ Professor Snape," Lockhart said as he made his way back to the middle, trying to sound like he was in control of the situation. "but if you don't mind me saying, it was _pretty_ obvious of what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you, it would have been only _too_ easy." The man said with a renewed confidence to hide the fact he was bested in dueling. Severus looked like he couldn't care less. "Perhaps it will be prudent to _first_ teach the students how to block unfriendly spells, Professor." Snape drawled. Lockhart looked slightly flustered from the potion master's words before mustering smiling, to which Severus returned a stiff smile as well.

"An excellent suggestion, Professor Snape," Lockhart said as he turned around and starts walking slowly. "Uh. Let's have a volunteer pair. Um, Weasley and Finnigan, how about you? You've gotten your wand fixed so you should be fine." Lockhart said in a comforting way towards the redhead as the crowd shifted a little bit as Weasley and Finnigan moved towards the platform. "Might I suggest someone from my own house to be Mr. Weasley's opponent?" Severus drawled as Lockhart turned around to look at the Potions master. "Ivanov perhaps?" He said in a contemplative voice. He quickly turned around and motioned for Diana to come up.

Diana sighed as she stepped on to the platform and made her way to the middle to stand face to face with Weasley, one professor at either side. "Wands at the ready!" Lockhart said. Diana and Weasley synced in moving their wand in front of their face. "Scared, Ivanov?" Weasley said with a smug smirk. " _You wish_. You'll be the one who'll be scared." They flicked their wand arm back down on their side, their eyes unwavering from each other. They turned around and start walking ten steps away from each other. They then whipped back around to face each other again and got into a ready stance. "On the count of three, cast your charms to disarm your opponent. _Only_ to disarm. We don't want any accidents here. One...two...-"

" _Everte stratum!"_ Weasley shouted out before Lockhart could say three. Diana gasped as she was knocked onto her back from a tremendous force, landing with a low grunt. She heard some of Weasley's cronies cackle in delight as the redhead smirked smugly. Diana quickly got back into her feet. She had to admit, Weasley caught her off guard. This time, she whipped her wand. "Rictasempra!" She shouted, watching as the redhead also flew back but landed much harder on his ass. She heard her friends laugh, unable to see Severus behind her holding back smirk from appearing on his face. Weasley got back on his feet, his face beat red from embarrassment. "I said disarm only!" Lockhart shouted, trying to sound like a warning.

" _Serpensortia_!" The redhead shouted, whipping his wand in an intricate pattern in the air as a king cobra shot from his wand tip. _Seriously?_ Diana thought as she noticed that smug look appear back on Weasley's face, thinking that he might actually win this duel since second years wouldn't know how to get rid of the snake. The students gasped in fear of the king cobra as it slowly slithered down the platform, it's tiny forked tongue licking the air as if it was taking in the fest permeating the air. "Don't move Miss Ivanov. I'll get rid of it for you." Severus said with a drawl as he started moving over to the snake. "Allow me, Professor Snape," Lockhart said with determination, ready to redeem himself for earlier as he stopped Snape mid-stride. The man confidently stepped up to the king cobra with his wand pointing straight at it. " _Alarte ascendare!"_

The students watched as the snake was launched straight up into the air before hitting the platform with a low thud. The spell did nothing except make the snake more irritated. The students became nervous as the cobra started hissing angrily at them as it slithered by, its hood on full display as it showed the sharp fangs soaked with venom. **_"Come to me."_** Diana hissed in Parseltongue, causing everyone to look at her in shock. Her voice had confused the snake as it looked around to find the source. **_"Come to me, my dear friend."_** She hissed our again, bringing be snake's attention completely on her now.

It simply hissed st he in annoyance, it's sharp fangs glimmered from the fire torches hanging on the walls. _"Vipera evanansca."_ Severus took the chance with the snake's distraction and the snake was quickly burned away. Diana noticed everyone's eyes were still on her like she was some freak sideshow as she realized what she just did. She spotted her friends amongst the sea of heads and noticed their reaction as similar to her's. _Fuck._

December 18, Friday

"Excuse me?" Valentina asked, her eyes narrowed at Dumbledore in a threatening way as Stepan was shooting glares at the old man. "You want to do what?" Tom asked in a soft voice, but his eyes were daring Dumbledore to repeat it. "I want your daughter to talk to this snake," Dumbledore said in a matter-of-fact tone while motioning towards a small metal box with iron bars and a python curled up in it. "This is absolutely outrageous! Have you gone senile, Dumbledore?! What on earth makes you think my daughter can talk to this snake?!" Valentina yelled, appalled at how ridiculous it sounds. "Mrs. Ivanonv, fifty students witnessed your daughter speak in Parseltongue. However what intrigues me most is that I only know one person who can speak in Parseltongue and that person is dead. Parseltongue is only passed down to the direct descendant of Salazar Slytherin." Dumbledore said, his eyes scrutinizing the people before him as he leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped on his stomach.

"Now if I remember correctly, neither you or Stepan are the direct descendants of Salazar Slytherin. So, either your daughter somehow _learned_ Parseltongue or...she isn't your daughter." Dumbledore's blue eyes landed on Diana, feeling like his eyes were trying to bore into her soul to see her hidden secrets. No noticed Tom had tensed up. holding the urge to just hex the old man to the next millennia. Valentina looked positively appalled at the accusation. Stepan puffed his chest as his eyes turned so icy, the human soul could freeze from just briefly looking into them. "How dare you. My daughter is a true Ivanov, no one else's." Stepan hissed scathingly, his fingers balled up into a tight fist. No one spoke, the tension in the room so thick, you could slice it with a knife.

"I wasn't really speaking to it." Diana suddenly said in a meek voice, bringing the adults' attention over to her. "What do you mean, sweetheart?" Valentina asked in a soft voice after calming down from Dumbledore's last comment. Diana looked down on her lap, her fingers absently playing together over her lap, giving her a look of guilt. "I didn't want the snake to hurt my friends, so I tried talking to it. I remembered seeing a snake in our garden a few years back and it was hissing and making noises. I just mimicked the sound the snake made." She said, intentionally making her voice sound small. Valentina placed a gentle arm around her and kissed the top of her head. However, Dumbledore seemed unpleased with this answer, his blue eyes narrowing with suspicion.

"So you've just been _mimicking_ snake sounds?" Diana simply nodded to his question. "I can demonstrate what I did if you like." She said, her face turned hopeful as if she was wanting to please him as she waited for him to agree. Dumbledore was silent for a bit before finally answering. "Very well." The old man pulled the mental cage close to him and with a simple swipe of his hand in the air, the latch opened. The python slowly slithered out, its beady eyes glancing around at every person in the room as its forked tongue licked the air. **_"Don't react to my words."_** Diana hissed out but to everyone, it just sounds like normal snake noises. The python's tail flickered a little when she hissed but it didn't react to her voice. Diana continued for a minute longer before stopping.

She looked over at Dumbledore. "See, Professor. I was just making random noises." Dumbledore looked like he had swallowed a particularly sour lemon. "The girl is right, Albus." A new voice appears, bringing everyone's eyes to a large painting hanging in the corner closest to Dumbledore's desk. Next to the painting was three other similiar sized paintings. "Salazar, you aren't one to eavesdrop in any of the conversations that happen in this office," Dumbledore said, still looking sour. Salazar smirked at Dumbledore's obvious discontent. "That's true, but when it comes to Parseltongue, it always peaks my interest. This girl isn't a Parseltongue speaker. All the hissing sounds are like garbled noises to me." Dumbledore sighed haughtily, unhappy with how things turned out in the end and turned his attention back to the Ivanovs.

"There must have been a misunderstanding. My deepest apologies." Dumbledore said, looking like he was having a hard time mustering those words. As the adults talking, Diana looked back up at Salazar Slytherin's portrait. The three other paints, the remaining Founders, talked amongst each other. Salazar noticed Diana looking at him and a smirk appeared on his face before he winked at her. Diana grinned before turning to see if her father saw it. Tom did see it and smirked in amusement. Dumbledore was too preoccupied with apologizing to Valentina and Stepan, who were on the brink of sueing the old man, to notice the silent exchanges.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Took you long enough. How was the meeting?" Draco asked Diana when she and her family arrived on the main floor of the castle to see that the rest of the gang were still there to wait for her. People were heading down to the train platform to board the Hogwarts Express to head home for the winter holiday. Diana smirked evilly. "Aunt Valentina and Uncle Stepan smoked Dumbledore good." She spent the next few minutes explaining how it went as well as talking about Salazar Slytherin as the adults talked with each other. Their eyes widened at that facYou'reYour so lucky. I want to talk to Salazar Slytherin." Pansy pouted, everyone nodded in agreement. Diana grinned smugly.

"Children, you should be heading down to the platform. You don't want to miss the train." Valentina called out as the adults walked over to them. Diana said goodbye to the adults even though she would be seeing them again in a couple hours before walking with the gang down to the platform. They boarded the train just as the warning whistle sounded. Thankfully, there was plenty of empty compartments since a lot of students decided to stay behind. A few minutes they had situated in their seats, Neville arrived into the compartment, much to Pansy's pleasure. She immediately scooted over to let him sit down next to her as brief hellos were said. "So what is the plan for the winter break?" Draco asked as he looked at everyone. Each one answered.

Hermione had a slight flush to her cheeks when it came to her. "Well, I have good news actually. Daphne and her family are agreeing to adopt me into the family." Congratulations went around. "You'll do fine as a Greengrass," Pansy stated happily. "You and Daphnes are already so close, you two could be twins." The others agreed in unison, making Hermione blush more but laughed with soon-to-be sister. The topic then changed to what the next plans for the Dark Regime, Theo picked out the name of the gang, for the rest of the school year.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

The train finally stopped at King's Cross and the gang filed off the train. Diana frowned slightly when she walked over to Valentina and Stepan. **_"_ _Gde otets?" (R)_** (Where is Father?) Valentina smiled softly as she gently caressed the back of her head. **_"_ _Tvoy otets poshel k bratu v shkolu. Intsident proizoshel neskol'ko chasov nazad_**. **_Tvoy otets khochet, chtoby my_ _privezli tebya_ _v Koldovstorets._ _" (R)_** (Your father went to see your brother at school. An incident happened a few hours ago. Your father wants us to bring you to Koldovstoretz.) Diana frowned a little as she quickly escorted to the Apparition point without waving goodbye to her friends. They Apparated to Diagon Alley before Stepan pulled out an international Portkey which was an ancient looking key. They all put their hand on it before they were quickly whisked away.

Their feet landed on the snow-covered ground in front of Koldovstoretz. The building was even more imposing then Hogwarts as they quickly made their way inside where a portly shaped middle-aged woman dressed in something similar to what Madame Pomfrey wears. ** _"Syuda, pozhaluysta. Bystro." (R)_ **(This way, please. Quickly.) They were escorted through many empty corridors until they reached the doors of the infirmary. The doors opened to see Tom sitting next to a hospital bed with Christopher who was laying down fast asleep. "Father." She said as she quickly ran over to stand by her father's side. What happened?" She asked softly. Tom sighed softly as he looked up at his daughter. "Your brother got caught into a fight with a raging young Veela who was about to rip at someone who was touching his mate."

Diana's eyes widened slightly at that as she looked at her slumbering brother. She had heard incidents of such happening in Koldovstoretz since it was a school that most people with creature abilities can go without discrimination. Bandages covered his bare chest and his pants were covered in blood. "Can we take him home?" Tom shook his head. "No. We can take him tomorrow." He leaned over to look at Valentina and Stepan. "Why don't you two take her back home. I'll be here." They nodded and they gently stirred Diana towards the door after she said a brief goodbye to her brother.

December 19, Saturday

Diana gently knocked on her brother's bedroom before slowly opening it to peek inside. "Hey you," Christopher said with a smile as he looked up from the book he was reading, his back propped up against the headboard with a pillow behind him. Diana grinned and did a running start to hop onto the bed just in time to see her brother close the book he was reading and catch her with an oomph. She laughed as she hugged her brother tightly, enjoying the kisses the top of her head. "Any interesting stories to tell me?" He asked as he held onto her, always eager to hear what kind of mischief his sister has gotten into. Diana spent the next thirty minutes telling the stories in great detail, their laughter could be heard through out the mansion, bringing smiles to the adults in the lower level.


	10. Chapter Ten

[A/N: WOW 65 favorites and 100 subscribers~! I'm glad that so many of you like it! To those who just subscribed to my story or 'favorite' my story, thank you all in the bottom of my heart! I'm glad that so many of you are still following me even though things in the story are progressing slowly. I have taken direct quotes from the movie and books, so credits to JK Rowling. As usual, the foreign languages in this story are translated from Google Translate so, please let me know if something seems off. If any of you have a fanfiction request, hit me up on PM! As always, please, comment, subscribe and favorite my story and stay tuned for the next chapter~!]

Chapter 10

December 20, Sunday

"Severus, report." Tom's voice echoed in the high ceiling chamber. The fire in the furnace seemed to be doing nothing to defeat the brisk coldness that seemed to match the flurries of snow falling outside. Severus stepped up to the steps, maskless, and got down on one knee with one hand over where his heart should be. "My apologies, my lord. THere has been another attack at the school two days ago and Dumbledore has the other professors working overnight to try to catch whoever has opened the chamber." He said lightly. Tom was silent as he absent-mindedly stroked Nagini's diamond-shaped head, his red eyes staring at Severus with no hint of malice in them.

"Who is it this time?" He asked curiously over the sound of contented hisses from Nagini. "A second-year Hufflepuff by the name Justin Fitch-Fletchly and the Gryffindor House ghost, Nearly Headless Nick, my lord." The chamber was silent again, only to be broken with the crack of the burning log and embers flying in the fireplace. **_"Princess."_** Tom hissed in Parseltongue to the smallest of the two figures sitting next to him in the throne. **_"Yes?"_** She hissed back. **_"Your number one task is to find my journal and the one who is being possessed by the seventeen-year-old me. Ask your friends to help you. It is imperative that we find this journal before Dumbledore does."_** He hissed, making everyone shiver at the eerie sounds. _**"Yes, father,"**_ Diana said softly.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Children!" The warden of the orphanage, Ms. Flapnook, called out pleasantly through the voice pipes that was connected to every room in the building. Hermione could instantly detect the sugariness behind that voice, her face screwed up in a scowl. Whenever this woman's voice sounded like that, that meant there were people with her who want to adopt. "I have people here who want to meet you here in the parlor room!" The warden continued to speak in that sweet voice. Thunderous footsteps could be heard leaving the numerous rooms of the orphanage, cheerful conversations filled the hallway as Hermione stepped out of her room to a sea of children making their way down to the main level to greet these people. The brunette held back a smirk as she followed after the kids. She knew who was down there to greet the kids. Daphne had sent her an owl a few days ago, saying that her parents had finalized everything with the family legal stuff and that they will be in the orphanage in a few days.

"Hey freak," Hermione winced when she felt something slam hard into her shoulder. Michael. "Where are you going, freak? You think any of these people are going to adopt a freak like you?" Michael said with a sneer, the kids with him snickering with delight as they walked past her, making sure to knock purposefully into her shoulder. Hermione clenched her fist as she suppressed the anger to just curse all of them for all eternity. _Not right now, Hermione. Not right now._ She thought. Hermione was the last person to arrive in the parlor room and briefly saw the Greengrass before some kid rudely blocked her way. She sent the kid a glare before moving to stand towards the corner where she could see better. Lady Greengrass was the only one who was sitting down while everyone else was standing around her. The warden cleared her throat, a cheerful smile on that annoying face. "Children, I want you to meet Mr. and Mrs, Greengrass. They are here with their two daughters, Daphne and Astoria. They are here to adopt one of you to expand their family. Isn't that wonderful?"

Hermione practically shuddered at how exaggerated that cheery voice sounded. Daphne noticed this and ducked her head towards the ground as she stopped herself from laughing. "I'm sure all of you are wondering, Mrs. Greengrass, what are you looking for in a child?" The warden asked. Lady Greengrass smiled as she briefly looked up at her husband before turning her attention back to the warden. "We are looking for someone who is bright, beautiful, loving, and get along with my daughters." The warden seemed pleased with that answer as she laughs while looking over at the crowd of kids. "I know a few children who fit your criteria. Would you like to talk to the children?" The warden asked, the children instantly got into their competitiveness to see who would reach the Greengrass first to make their impression.

"I would love to meet the children." Lady Greengrass said with a stunning smile. The children instantly raced over to her and started talking over each other to get her attention while Daphne and Astoria barely managed to come out of it unscathed as they ran over to their new sibling. "Mother and Father are just going with the flow. We'll be leaving soon anyway." Daphne said while Astoria just nodded in agreement. Lord Greengrass strolled over after barely a minute of being surrounded by boisterous children. "How can you possibly endure living with these people for all these years? All these constant nagging is giving me a headache." He said with a scowl, not even bothering with hiding how he truly feels about these muggles. He sighed heavily but gave his daughters a war smile, but to others, it didn't look like it.

"Why don't you two help your sister pack her things? We won't be here that much longer." The girls nodded and Hermione guided her sisters up to the rickety wooden stairs to her room. "How rude, they didn't even give you a decent room," Astoria said with a sniff, her eyebrow scrunched in a frown when she noticed a rat peeking out from a hole in the corner of the room. "Doesn't someone come and check the place, like every month?" Daphne asked while looking around as Hermione pulled out a suitcase from underneath her bed. "Oh they do but the warden always pays them handsomely before they even come into my room to inspect it." The brunette said as she grabbed her clothes off the hangers and started folding them into her suitcase.

The Greengrass sisters helped the brunette fold her clothes until all were in there. After stuffing her rather small collection of books, both muggle, and wizarding literature, the suitcase still ended up being light. Since Hermione didn't have any other possessions other then a worn out teddy bear, the girls were done rather quickly. "Fauna?" Daphne asked. A female house elf wearing a crisp white toga around its thin frame suddenly appeared in the room with a loud crack. "Young mistress Daphne called Fauna?" It said with a squeaky voice, sweeping down to a low bow. "Yes, Fauna. Will you please take my sister's suitcase to her new room? Start preparing lunch as well. We'll be home soon." The house elf bowed once more after taking a hold of Hermione's suitcase, and with another crack, it disappeared into thin air.

"Ah, there you girls are." Lord Greengrass said as he walked into the doorway, using his arm to lean against the wooden structure. "Are you three ready to leave?" He asked. "Yes, Father." The girls said in unison. Hermione thought she would be feeling odd for calling Lord Greengrass 'father', but the moment the Greengrass patriarch told her to call them 'mother' and 'father', she felt like it was meant to be. The girls walked with their father down to the main level to see the kids were still trying to catch Lady Greengrass' attention. "Love, I believe I found the perfect daughter for us." Lord Greengrass said over the obnoxious voices of the kids, quickly making the orphans to stop talking and stare up at him.

"Oh? Who is she?" Lady Greengrass said in a sweet voice, looking dainty and beautiful as ever in the midst of flustered. Lord Greengrass placed a warm hand on Hermione's shoulder, bringing everyone's attention to her. "Her name is Hermione." The orphans' eyes bulged when they realized it the 'freak' the guy was talking about. Lady Greengrass stood up with such grace, it would make the Queen of England jealous. "Oh, she is absolutely beautiful." She said smoothly while she practically glided towards Hermione and bent down to kiss her cheek before standing back up. "My husband and I would like to adopt her, Ms. Flapnook." She said while looking over to the warden, who looked like a fish out of the water with her mouth continuously opening and closing with no sound coming out.

"E-Excuse me?" The warden stuttered as she snapped her jaw shut, her cheeks flushed. Lady Greengrass raised a pale eyebrow before moving around to stand shoulder to shoulder with her husband while placing a gentle hand on Hermione's unoccupied shoulder. "We would like to adopt Hermione. I hope that is no problem." She said with slight coldness towards the end. "N-No, no of course not. Come with me to my office. Children, go play while I'm talking to the Greengrass. Lunch will be served shortly." A flushed Mrs. Flapnook said as she quickly left the room with the family following her close behind. Suddenly, the parlor room erupted with whines and groans as the family left, making Hermione smirk with delight. **_"Profitant de ta revanche, chère soeur?" (F)_** (Enjoying your revenge, dear sister?) Daphne asked in a soft voice, not caring if the warden heard her. Based on what Hermione said previously, she doesn't know any foreign language besides English.

Hermione simply grinned as the warden walked into her office. "You three stay out here, alright? We'll finish everything here soon and we'll be heading home." Lady Greengrass said with a smile before she and her husband followed Ms. Flapnook into her office, leaving the three girls alone in the hallway. "I finally get to leave this place for good," Hermione said with a wide grin on her face, letting out a sigh of relief. Daphne and Astoria laughed at their sister's antics. Their moment was short lived when numerous footsteps could be heard walking towards them. "I wouldn't be so sure of the 'freak'. These people are going to toss you back in here the moment they see how freakishly weird you are." Michael sneered, his arms folded across his chest which the other kids followed him.

Daphne and Astoria frowned as the girls turned to look at the group of kids, their hands on their hips. "I suggest you stop calling our sister a freak," Astoria said coldly, her baby blue eyes narrowed threateningly. "Or what, shorty? You're going to punch me?" Michael jeered before the kids cackled with delight. Daphne glared coldly as she moved to stand in front of Astoria. "No, my sisters won't be punching you, however, I will hurt you with this," Daphne said as she pulled out her wand from the pocket of her blue winter petty coat, causing the kids to gasp with fright and backed up a little with fear in their eyes. "Y-You're a freak too! S-She had a stick too!" Michael stuttered while pointing a shaky finger at both Hermione and Daphne. Daphne smirked coldly as she stepped closer to the kids who in turn took a step back, a mocking surprised look on her face.

"Oh, so my sister has shown you? Then you know what will happen if you make me angry, right?" Hermione stood back with Astoria, placing her hands on her shoulder, a satisfied smirk on her face when the kids quickly nodded in fear, their eyes flickered back and forth between the both of them. Without a moment later, the kids bolted out of the area as if there was a bomb and was about to explode at any moment. The door to the office swing op and Lord and Lady Greengrass stepped out with a look of satisfaction on their face followed by a pale looking Ms. Flapnook. "Come girls. We best be on our way. We have stayed here longer than necessary." Lady Greengrass said, her nose tilt up as she walked with her husband outside in the snow-covered ground.

December 25, Friday

"Oh, you both look wonderful!" Narcissa said excitedly when Diana and her family stepped through the Floo in the Malfoy manor and their house elf, Dobby took their cloak. The Malfoys were chosen to host this year's Christmas party and it certainly is a sight to behold. Diana was wearing a red high low round neck and laced cocktail dress with long sleeves and black half-inch peep-toed heels. Her hair was done in a topsy ponytail with a red ribbon keeping everything in place. The blonde matriarch glided effortlessly to them and gave them all kisses on the cheek while Lucius gave the women kisses on the back of their hand and the men firm handshakes.

"You certainly have outdone yourself, Cissa. Everything looks stunning!" Valentina said with admiration. Narcissa smiled beautifully at the compliment as she placed her hand on the crook on Lucious' arm. "Thank you, my dear. I wanted the night to be memorable." The adults chuckled at her comment. "Oh, Diana dear," Narcissa said as she turned her attention to her. "Draco and the others are waiting for you in his room. And Christopher, your friends are in the living room." Diana and Christopher excused themselves from the adults' presence and left their separate ways. She had been to the manor more times then she could count and knew every room at the back of her hand. Her heels echoed against the white marble tiled floor as she walked up the second flight of stairs.

She finally reached Draco's room after a few turns. She knocked on the dark wood surface to have it open after a few minutes. Everyone greeted her as she stepped inside. She didn't think Neville and Ginny would attend but she was proven wrong. "We heard about the third attack. What should we do?" Daphne said when Diana sat down and everyone sat in a circle around her. "Well, my father says we have to find the journal and the person possessed by his seventeen-year-old soul piece. The only thing is, it can be anyone." Diana said and the other's remained silent, unsure how to proceed next."Oh, how about this?" Hermione said with a hint of hope and excitement.

"I read somewhere about possession. You can tell if they have been possessed is if they look unwell or even better, pale skinned and bags under their eyes. They obviously won't be themselves so that won't be too hard to find." She stated. Diana found it annoying that she had to play a game of cat and mouse with this person. She sighed and nods. "We'll go with that since we don't have many options left. Ginny, you're in charge of the first years in your classes. The rest of us will have to keep our eyes opened and report to me whatever you find, no matter how little it seems." The other's nodded in understanding.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

 ** _"Les enfants, entrez! C'est l'heure du dîner!" (F)_ **(Children, come inside! It's time for dinner!) Narcissa called out to them from the backyard door. The gang had decided to go outside into the fresh snow covered ground and an impromptu snowball fight ensued. They have trodden back inside the manor laughing, their cheeks red, their clothes and hair covered in snow dustings. Their clothes instantly dried the moment they passed through the threshold and Dobby quickly whisked their winter cloaks away. _**"Tebe bylo veselo, dorogaya?"** **(R)**_ (Did you have fun, dear?) Valentina asked with a smile as Diana walked over to her, drawing out her wand to make minor adjustments to her hair to maintain its look.

 _ **"Da, devochki izbivali mal'chikov v bitve za snezhnyy shar." (R)**_ (Yes, the girls pummeled the boys in a snowball fight.) Diana said with a smug smirk. "Hey, you guys cheated," Draco said with a mocking glare as Narcissa fussed a little with the collar of his crisp white shirt. Diana stuck her nose out as she folded her arms across her chest, a smile playing with her lips. "Not my fault you boys suck at tactics." The adults chuckled at their antics as they slowly made their way over to the dining room where the House-elves waited patiently for the guests to sit down at the table before serving the food.

December 28th, Monday

Diana looked up from the book she was reading when she heard a knock on the door of the library. The door opened and Tom peeked his head in. "Salazar want to talk to you." He said briefly and closed the door before hearing her response. Diana raised an eyebrow before standing up and placing her book down on the table. She left the library and made her way to a private room that was made just for Tom. For Christmas, her father received an empty picture with Salazar's name on the small plaque on the frame from the Malfoys. With this frame, Diana's ancestor can freely move from the portrait in Hogwarts to this new frame at any time.

Diana lightly knocked on the door of the private room and heard Tom call out from behind the door. She strolled into the room to see her father was sitting in a winged armchair, facing the painting and was seemingly in the middle of a conversation. "My apologies, Father." She said softly as she walked over to him after closing the door, bowing her head towards Salazar's painting once she stood next to her father's chair. "Sir." She said, seeing the painting nodded in acknowledgment. "My father said you wanted to talk to me?" Salazar smirked slightly as he sat back in the chair with him in the portrait. "Your father told me about the Chamber of Secrets being opened once again. Are you close in identifying who is being possessed by your father's soul fragment?"

Diana bowed her head and shook head. "No, sir. However, my friends and I are still searching." Salazar nodded, a look of content on his face. "Very well. However there something else I want to talk to you about." He said, his face turning serious. "What is it, sir?" Diana inquired. "Have you been told the story about me creating the Chamber of Secrets? About the creature hiding in the chamber?" Salazar asked. Diana raised an eyebrow at that questions but answered anyway, scowling as she talked. "Yes, sir. We were told that the chamber doesn't exist and that there was no creature hidden underneath the school." Salazar scoffed coldly and nodded his head slowly like he knew it was going to happen.

"Then do you know what is down there?" Salazar asked Diana after a few minutes of silence, leaning forward in his chair to look closely at her. Diana shook her head slightly. "I know that it is large from what my familiar has told me and is closely related to snakes from when I heard it from within the walls." She said truthfully. Salazar smirked, looking pleased as he leaned back in his chair. again "He is still going strong." He said, talking more to himself before turning his attention back to Diana. "Have you ever heard about the creature called the basilisk?." He said, catching her slightly off guard but answered none the less. Diana nodded her head and was about to say something when she realized what the portrait was saying. Her mouth hung slightly open for a brief moment before she snapped it closed to answer.

"You hid a basilisk in the dungeons of Hogwarts?" She asked as if she was reaffirming what she thought he was saying. Salazar and Tom chuckled at her reaction and the portrait nodded his head slightly. "Merlin, that basilisk must be enormous." Diana marveled to herself as an image of a hulking creature slithering around in the dark dampness of the dungeon.

January 3rd, Sunday

The door to the train compartment slides open and Blaise stepped in. Draco and Diana greeted him and talked about how the rest of their winter holidays went. A few minutes later, the rest of the gang came in, everyone relaying how their winter break went. The Hogwarts Express let out a loud whistle and started chugging away towards Hogwarts. "Oh, Diana. I got the potion from Professor Snape. Can you explain to me why I would need this?" Pansy asked with curiosity after a little bit while pulling out a small glass vial from her purse. Diana smirked as everyone turned their eyes on her. "On Christmas day, there was a little rat trying to break into our common room."

"A rat?" Draco said, puzzled at who this 'rat' is. Diana nodded, the smirk still on her face. "The Weasel. The rat that never _dies_." The gang let out an annoyed groan when she finally revealed who it was. "Please tell me Uncle Severus did something to him." Draco groaned out in exasperation. Daphne snorts at this. "Of course he did. Professor Snape wouldn't stand for someone sneaking into his House." She was right on that part. Severus was very protective of his students, even though it may not look like it. "Yeah but still haven't told me why I was given the potion," Pansy said, getting slightly annoyed that she wasn't getting a direct answer.

Diana smirked with delight. She spent the next couple of minutes to explain to the gang what her plan was. The gang had identical sadistic smirks on their faces once she was done explaining. "This is going to be so much fun," Blaise said with delight in his eyes. Pansy was the only one who was grumbling as she leaned against Neville, clearly unhappy about the plan. "Will you be ok with this, Ginny?" Hermione asked the red-haired girl, concern written all over her face. Ginny smirked and nods. "I'll definitely be ok especially after I see him get knocked down a peg." The gang chuckled, glad that she was ok with the plan. "But what about your mother?" Blaise then asked. It wasn't unusual for him to ask since he and Ginny are seen talking to each other since the start of the school year.

"Ron can tattle to my mother but he knows he is going to expose what he did and be in more trouble than me, so I'm not going to worry too much," Ginny said with a shrug of her shoulder. "Are you sure, the plan will work?" Draco then asked as he looked over at Diana. She smirked evilly. "Of course. All boys are fascinated by Quidditch, food, and women. Weasel is no exception." For the rest of the train ride, they broke off into smaller groups. One was playing wizarding chess, another was talking about Quidditch, another was talking about the latest trends in fashion. "We should change into our robes," Hermione stated as she snapped the book she was reading shut.

January 6th, Wednesday

"Ron, come on mate! We're going to be late for dinner!" Dean shouted as he, Ron, and Seamus ran towards the Great Hall. They were going to be the last ones coming. "Alright alright, wait up, will ya?" Ron brushed off his friend's urgency as they ran around the corner. The red-head suddenly came to a stop as his friends started to leave him behind. Something down the corridor had caught his eye. "Ron, what's wrong mate?" Seamus called back to him in a thick Irish accent once he and Dean noticed he was being left behind. "N-Nothing...you guys go ahead. I'll follow behind." He said, clearly distracted with something as he kept staring down the corridor.

"Are you...sure?" Dean asked, worried about the strange behavior of his friend. "Yeah yeah...I'll be ok." He said as he started walking down towards the corridor, towards the direction of whatever had caught his attention. "Oookkayy..." Seamus said, puzzled as he and Dean walked down the opposite direction of the red-head. Ron quickly walked around the corner to see the same gorgeous woman dressed in the Hogwarts uniform, standing in front of a door that was in the middle of the corridor. He didn't even say anything when the beauty turned around to look at him and a knowing smile appeared on her face. Ron's face turned bright red at how beautiful she looked. The unknown beauty waved for him to come over as she reached out to take hold of the doorknob.

Ron quickly staggered over, his eyes still staring at the beauty just as he saw her disappeared into the room. Ron's eyes were covered in darkness the moment the door swung shut behind him. He suddenly let out a loud pained grunt when something rammed into his stomach and fell down to his knees, groaning. "What the-" Something like two pairs of thick hands grabbed at his arms, making him yelp in fear as he was made to stay on his knees. "Well well well, looks like the Weasel is finally caught," Diana said in the dark, sounding very amused before she flicked her wand and the fireplace in the room suddenly sparked to life, illuminating everyone's face with a warm glow.

Diana was sitting in the middle of an elaborate couch with an evil smirk on her face, the rest of the gang sat next to her on the couch. **_"_** ** _Je me sentais presque mal pour lui quand il a suivi Pansy ici." (F)_** (I almost felt bad for him when he followed Pansy in here.) Blaise said while shaking his head, a highly amused look in his eyes, "Ivanov! What the fuck?! You better not have done anything to her!" Ron hollered, his face turning red from shouting as he tried to stand back up but both Goyle and Crabbe kept him in the same position. The gang laughed, finding his comment highly hilarious, causing Ron's face to turn tomato red.

"You touch her and I'm going to kill you!" The red-head yelled as he tried harder to break from Crabbe and Goyle's grip. "Poor Weasel, you don't even realize you just been played." Diana shook her head like he was a failed experiment before making a beckoning motion towards a darkened corner with her hand. The gorgeous girl stepped out from the shadows, looking unharmed. "I must say, Professor Snape has done a wonderful job with this potion." She said as she looked down at her form. Draco rolled his eyes. "Change back, Pansy." He said as he tossed to her another small vial. The gorgeous girl pouted as she caught the vial in her hands, not wanting to change back just yet. Weasley looked at her with his mouth hanging open, looking the ever more stupid.

Pansy downed the contents in the vial in one go, the gang watched her shudder as her appearance change back to her original look like cascading water. "Ah, much better." She said as she peered into the mirror that was hanging on the wall, content to see her normal face peering back at her, not noticing the very unappealing gobsmacked look on the Weasel's face before it changed to anger. "You tricked me! I'm going to get you for this, you slimy Slytherins! Wait until I tell Professor Dumbledore this! He will have you kicked out for sure!" Diana didn't even react as the red-head spewed out nonsense. Now that was not a good sign. "Compared to what you were trying to do during winter break? I don't think so." She said coldly, not showing the amused expression anymore.

"That's right," Diana said when she saw the surprised look on Weasel's face and stood up from the couch. "I know all about your little attempt to sneak into our dorm. I wonder who is going to get into more trouble? Me or you?" Diana said, feigning curiosity as she watched Weasel squirmed on the spot. "How naive of you to think you can simply _waltz_ into our dorm." Hermione sneered, her sisters nodding in agreement as they glared at him. Diana made a tiny nod towards Crabbe and Goyle, so subtle that nobody would have caught it. "Listen, you bitch! No one asked-" Weasel started shouting before he was suddenly caught off when a burly fist connected with his already-bruised stomach.

"Merlin, if only Neville were her, he wouldn't pass this moment up to lay a good one on Weasel." Theo could be heard saying over the low thuds of fists connecting with flesh and the whimpering groans. "Enough," Diana commanded after a little bit and the beatings suddenly stopped as quickly as it started, Crabbe and Goyle had to hold the Weasel by the back of his uniform in order to keep him from falling face first to the floor. The room was silent except for the occasional weak coughs and low groans from Weasley. Diana slowly walked over to the beaten figure, crouched down and gently cupped his chin to lift it up so she can see his face.

Her emerald eyes were cold as she took in every wince from every single breath he took. "Don't try to get into things you don't understand, Weasel." She said in a cold soft voice before she let go of his chin, watching his head dip forward like he has no muscles supporting his neck. She sighed softly, sounding almost disappointed that the fun was over as she stood up, dusting her hands off from invisible dirt. "Hermione, can you go bring Severus here? Tell him he was a Weasel to obliviate."

February 13th, Saturday

"Diana, I found the person," Ginny said the moment she sat down at the Slytherin's table during dinner, catching the gang's attention. "Who is it?" Diana said in a hushed voice as she and the gang leaned in towards Ginny. The red-head quickly looked around the table and behind her to make sure nobody was listening in before leaning in. "Do you see that girl at the Ravenclaw table with the straight brown hair, do the one who looks like she is going to plow face first into her food?" The gang looked up and turned their attention towards the Ravenclaw house table to see a little girl with straight brown hair that was pulled up into a ponytail, her eyes outlined with dark circles as she stared blankly at the food on her plate. She was swaying slightly in her seat as if she was refraining from face-planting into her food.

"Are you sure?" Theo asked, looking confused as he looked over at Ginny. "She looks like a normal kid who has gotten enough sleep the last few nights." Ginny pierced her lips as she gave him 'seriously' look before answering. "I'm sure of this. I'm in History of Magic with the Ravenclaws and I sometimes see her mumbling to nobody in particular. She always has a notebook in her hand and whenever someone touches, she goes into a panic and holds it in her arms." Diana frowned slightly as she stared carefully at the girl. "When did you notice her strange behavior?" She asked before turning her attention back to Ginny. The red-head paused for a moment before answering. "About a month ago." She stated.

"What?! Why did you wait so long to tell us this?!" Pansy whispered angrily as the gang stared at the red-head in disbelief. "Let her talk," Diana said in a voice that had no room for arguments, folding her arms on the table as the Great Hall waited patiently for the house elves to serve dinner. Ginny sent a glare towards Pansy before speaking, dipping her head down to look at her lap. "I'm sorry, Diana. I didn't tell you all about this girl because I wanted to make sure about it. I was thinking the same thing as Theo. I thought she was just a normal kid with a lack of sleep but her behavior got stranger. Her behavior when she freaked out when some kid touched that journal really cemented my suspicions."

Diana was silent as she carefully observed Ginny. She could tell she was sincere in her reasoning. "Alright, I forgive you. Just don't do it again." She said with a serious face as she looked at the red-head. Ginny smiled softly and nods. Daphne let out a soft sigh as dinner was finally served. "Now, we need to figure out how to get her away from that journal." The gang pulled a face when they realized that was going to harder then they thought.

February 14th, Sunday

Diana was completely blindsided by the pink and red floral decorations covering the walls of the Great Hall. The ceiling was spelled to constantly rain red rose petals and red paper hearts with white wings were fluttering around. Dwarves dressed as cupids, looking like an overgrown baby, strolled around with a basket in their hands, tossing even more red rose petals on the students and tables. "Good Merlin, my eyes have been scarred for life." Blaise groaned out, squeezing his eyes shut when he noticed a particular dwarf was wearing a cloth diaper that was a size too small, displaying his wrinkly ass. Theo burst out laughing at his friend's distress, causing the Italian to send a glare at the guy as the gang sat down at the Slytherin's house table.

"Hey guys, I heard Diana got her Valentine's message sang to her," Hermione said with an evil smirk on her face as she peered over at the said girl. Diana sent a glare at her friend and growled a little. "Don't you dare mention anything about that." The gang felt into laughter, causing Diana to turn bright red from embarrassment. "Hey, you have no idea how hard it was to not kill the dwarf!" She yelled with red cheeks, causing the gang to laugh even harder as they leaned against each other to prevent themselves from falling to the floor.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Hey sister, you have a confetti in your hair," Daphne said as she reached over to Hermione and pulled out a pink confetti from her brown locks. "How in the world is there still confetti on my clothes?!" Pansy groaned out in frustration as she plucked out more confettis from the folds of her clothes as the gang walked their way back towards the Slytherin dorm room. "I'm going to kill Lockhart," Diana said darkly as they trod along. They turned a corner and immediately stopped when their shoes landed into a thin layer of water. "What the..." Draco said, a deep frown on his face as they followed the water with their eyes, noticing that the entire empty corridor was completely covered in water.

"Eeeww..." Pansy said with a grimace in disgust as she treads lightly in the water. "Where do you think the water is coming from? Perhaps it's a busted pipe? Do you think its the basilisk?" Hermione implored as the gang stuck together as they light trudged down the water filled corridor. Diana frowned as she stared down the corridor before responding. "No. If it was a broken pipe, we would be hearing water gushing out and there would more water then this. There should be a bathroom close to here." She said as she leads the way down the corridor towards the direction of the bathroom. They turned another corner and see the entrance to the bathroom which had water coming from there.

"Aw shit, that must be the haunted bathroom I heard so much about," Daphne said in a hushed voice as the gang peeked over the wall to look at the bathroom. "Wait, what?" Pansy asked in a confused tone, her face marred with a frown as she looked back over her shoulder at the blonde. "There is supposedly a bathroom in this castle that is haunted by a girl that died in that same bathroom," Daphne said in a whisper, loud enough for everyone to hear. Diana smirked as she looked briefly over her shoulder. "Let's go." She moved away from the wall, not even bothering to see if everybody else followed her as she walked into the bathroom, grimacing as her shoes became wet from the water.

The entire bathroom floor was covered in water, without anything else wrong with the room. "Nothing looks wrong..." Draco stated with a little frown as he carefully looked around. "What are _you_ guys doing here?" A high pitched girly voice said behind them. They all whipped around, their wands drawn at the ready, to see a pale girl with circular rimmed glasses floating a few feet above the ground, a muggy looking Ravenclaw house symbol on her robe. "Moaning Myrtle..." Daphne said in a whisper, sounding almost in awe at the sight. The ghostly figure whipped her head towards Daphne when she heard her name and floated over to her with a sneer on her face, catching the blond off guard. "Come to make fun of Moaning Myrtle? Go on, I bet it would be a laugh to throw stones at my head!"

"We are not here to do any of that, Myrtle," Diana said silkily, bringing the ghost's attention back towards her. "Oh? Then what are you-" The ghost was about to repeat what she asked in the very beginning when something caught her eye. She floated over to Diana, stopping only meters from her face. "Those eyes...look so familiar." Diana didn't waver as she stared into the ghost's eyes, noticing Draco move over to her at the corner of her eye, sticking an arm out to be a barrier between her and Moaning Myrtle as he glared at the ghostly figure. Moaning Myrtle didn't seem to notice Draco as she kept looking into Diana's eyes only to widen with realization.

The bathroom was filled with an annoying girly laughed that made Diana's stomach churn as the ghost girl did lazy somersaults in the air. She noticed the knowing glint in the ghost's eye and gave her a warning glare. "You know, don't you? You better not tell anybody else, do you understand?" Moaning Myrtle rolled her eyes as she rolled slightly to face her. "You mean Dumbledore? Relax. I saw how deceitful he was after I became a ghost." That brought a small comfort to Diana and she gave a small nod. Pansy, who was standing closest to a wall this entire time, rolled her eyes. "Come on, Diana. This ghost is wasting our time. She probably did something to the toilet or the sink and made the water overflow." She said, making an off-hand wave with her hand.

Moaning Myrtle puffed her cheeks at that comment as she placed her hands on her waist. "Hey, I didn't do this." She said pointing to the water covered bathroom floor. "Some girl with brown hair, a first-year Ravenclaw I think. She came in here with a journal and she tried flushing it down the toilet. In this stall." She said, pointing to an open stall close to the bathroom wall. Diana quickly walked over to the bathroom stall and sees a black journal floating in the toilet bowl. She closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh, mentally cursing the girl before opening her eyes again. She used her wand to magically lift the journal out of the toilet bowl, grimacing in disgust as the water dripped from the soaked pages. She could hear Theo made puking sound at the sight. The moment she held the soaked journal in her hand, she felt a tingling feeling of strong magic seeping from it.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Can you guys leave me alone with a journal for a little bit? I will attempt to talk to my father's soul." Diana asked as she got into position on Draco's bed. Her friends had persuaded her to go into the boy's dorm, just in case if something were to happen to her and plus, there weren't any barriers to prevent the girls to enter the boy's dorm like there was one for the girl's dorm to prevent the boys to come in. The gang nodded and they left her to herself. She had Draco's inkwell and quill next to her as she stared at the journal briefly before opening it and flipping to the first page. The pages didn't show a single sign of water damage from earlier nor did it showed signs that it had ever been written on. She smirked slightly. Very typical of her father to not show any signs that he had been there.

She took a hold of the quill and dipped the tip into the well, carefully making sure that no ink dropped on the bed comforter before proceeding to write a single sentence on the page. _"Father?"_ Diana watched as the message disappeared like the page soaked up the ink. She waited for what felt like hours until a familiar slanted handwriting appeared on the page. _"Who is this? I'm not aware that I had a child."_ Diana quickly dipped the quill into the well and wrote a response. _"You won't know this, but I'm your future. My name is Diana. I'm yours and Lily Evan's daughter."_ The message disappeared once again and she waited patiently for a response. As if her father's soul was in shock, it took longer for her to see another message appear.

 _"My daughter...I'm not sure if I should believe you. For all I know, you could be Dumbledore trying to play a trick on me."_ Diana refrained from rolling her eyes before scribbling another message. _"I wish I can tell you everything that has happened but unfortunately, I can't do that here in Hogwarts. The walls and paintings have ears. There is a first-year girl who has been using this journal and she is currently being possessed by your soul. I recommend you stop what you are doing. Dumbledore is getting suspicious and he will soon discover you."_ Diana then got a response she was not thrilled about. _"And miss the chance to hurt Dumbledore? A fortune teller has told my future not that long ago and if what she has told me is true, Lily is dead. Take this as a mission to make our future better."_

"Wait, what?" Diana said out loud, feeling a slight panic feeling in her chest as she quickly wrote a sentence. _"Wait, father!"_ She waited for a few minutes to see that the soul wasn't responding. "No!" In the process of panicking, she placed both of her hands on the now blank journal and her vision was suddenly blinded by a bright flash and everything turned black.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"What happened...I don't know...the dorm shuddered..." Soft panicked murmurs woke Diana up from the darkness and her eyes fluttered open, feeling heavy. "Thank Gods, are you feeling alright?" Severus' voice greeted her as her eyes adjusted to her surroundings. She was laying on a bed and the gang including Severus was surrounding her. "What...happened?" She asked, feeling a slight headache forming. "We should be asking _you_ that," Draco said with a frown. "We felt the dorm shake and we came in here to see passed out on the bed." Diana frowned as she tried to recall what had happened when everything clicked. "Shit..." She cursed as she sat up and looked around her for the journal. Severus noticed what she was trying to look for and produced the journal from his robe pocket. "Are you looking for this?"

Without even saying thanking him, Diana ripped the journal from his hand and held it tightly in her hand, ignoring the concerned expressions on her friends' faces. As she expected, she couldn't feel any strong magic coming from the journal. "What is going on, Diana?" Hermione asked in a gentle voice as she reached over to lightly touch her shoulder as if in hopes of snapping her out of her thought. Instead of answering, Diana looked over at the brunette. "Mione, what is the last stage of a possession?" She asked, her face blank, catching Hermione off guard. The brunette quickly look at the others to notice that they were also curious and she cleared her throat before answering. "Well, the soul will leave the object they are in inhabiting once they have gained enough power, in this case, the journal, into the next object. Why?"

Diana let out a sigh as she silently dumped the journal onto the bed before answering. "My father's soul has left the journal and has found another home." The gang frowned at the rather vague answer before their eyes widened in recognition. "Oh fuck." They all said in unison.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

The Ravenclaw first-year jolted awake and quickly sat up. Could it be? She quickly drew back the bed curtain with a sharp snap and the sight she saw cemented her thought. "Tom?" She said in a whisper, not wanting to wake her room-mates up. The figure in the armchair smiled at her, his red eyes standing out to her in the dark. "Yes, it's me, Cindy." Cindy's lower lip quivered as she climbed out of her bed. "I-I'm so sorry, Tom. I felt so guilty for leaving you in the toilet. I-I felt so empty and cold inside." Tom smiled softly as he reached over to gently cup her cheek. "It's alright now, Cindy. We can be together now." Cindy smiled at his words as she felt him go into her small body.


	11. Chapter Eleven

[A/N: WOW 72 favorites and 112 subscribers~! I'm glad that so many of you like it! To those who just subscribed to my story or 'favorite' my story, thank you all at the bottom of my heart! I'm glad that so many of you are still following me even though things in the story are progressing slowly. I have taken direct quotes from the movie and books, so credits to JK Rowling. As usual, the foreign languages in this story are translated from Google Translate so, please let me know if something seems off. If any of you have a fanfiction request, hit me up on PM! As always, please, comment, subscribe and favorite my story and stay tuned for the next chapter~! I also edited something in Chapter 9 because I stupidly used Diana rather then Natalya.]

Chapter 11

February 15th, Monday

"Don't be daft, Theo. If my father's soul is actually walking around Hogwarts as a living human, Dumbledore would be freaking out right about now and it will be absolute pandemonium around here." Diana huffed in annoyance as the gang walked towards the Great Hall for lunch. There is a lot of activity in the corridors as the other students were released from class. "Diana, look at the Ravenclaw girl. She looks like the stuff that has been happening since the beginning of the school year hasn't even happened" Ginny asked as she looked around the scurrying students. Diana shook her head as they arrived in the Great Hall and sat down at the Slytherin house table.

Diana looked over at the Ravenclaw table to see the girl who still looked pale but she was smiling to her friends and acting normal as far as they knew. She wasn't getting a good feeling from this. Usually, someone how had been possessed by a soul, wouldn't be t _hat_ normal the days following after. "Ginny." She said, catching the red-head to her. "Try talking to her whenever you have the same class with her. Get as much information as you can." Ginny nodded immediately as the freshly made lunch was served to all of the tables.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Alright class, we are going to continue with the War of 1112." Professor Binns droned in an almost wispy voice as his transparent body floated over to the blackboard and began writing on the black surface with a piece of chalk. With how the ghost professor had set up his classroom, there was one Ravenclaw and a Gryffindor at each desk. Coincidentally, Binns wanted to change the sitting arrangement and he ended up putting Ginny in the same desk with Cynthia. With Binns deeply distracted with droning over and over about the War of 1112, Ginny began talking to the Ravenclaw in a low whisper. "Hey, I heard you have been sick for a while." Cynthia smiled and nods. "Yeah, I've been sick since the start of the term. I'm just glad I am finally better."

Ginny smiled and was about to turn her attention back to Professor Binns when she noticed the Ravenclaw writing a name over and over on an empty page of her notebook. _Tom Marvolo Riddle. Tom Marvolo Riddle._ "Who's Tom?" Ginny inquired after a little bit, to make sure that the Ravenclaw wasn't too curious about the inquiry. Cynthia didn't even look up as Ginny saw a smile on her face. "Tom is my new friend."

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Damn it, my soul is _very_ persistent." Tom cursed in frustration, his face floating in the green flames of the fireplace. Diana sighed as she was sitting in the carpet, the journal lying next to her with the rest of the gang sitting behind her on the couches. What should next move me, father?" She asked him. Tom sighed before answering. "There isn't much we can do now. What energy the soul had saved up to transfer from the journal into the girl's body has been completely used up. It's weak now and will start draining the girl of her energy until it is dangerously low. This will unfortunately take time. We will have to sit and wait until the soul gets enough energy for it to walk amongst the living."

May 8th, Saturday

The gang only decided to go to the Quidditch match because they wanted to see the Gryffindor team fail miserably and mostly to see Weasley make a fool of himself. The Quidditch stadium quickly filled with eager students and parents as the gang walked towards the field. Just as they were about to step into the spectator's stand, they were stopped by Severus. "The game has been canceled. There has been another attack." He said coolly. Diana cursed softly before turning her attention back to the potions master. "Who is it this time?" She asked as they were guided back towards the castle just as the spectators had caught word of the cancellation.

"A sixth year Ravenclaw prefect, Ms. Penelope Clearwater and the Gryffindor second year, Mr. Seamus Finnigan." Diana frowned a little at this. The game was the perfect distraction for another attack. All the students were herded into the Great Hall for an emergency gathering. Everyone was visibly shaken, not even the hot chocolate laced with _calming draught_ were even drunk. "Students of Hogwarts, may I have your attention, please." Dumbledore's voice rang over the low hums of conversation, making it stop immediately as everyone's attention turned to him. The old coot had a solemn look on his face, the age lines on his face were more defined.

"Today should have been filled with joy and excitement upon the winner of the Quidditch match, but alas, it was not meant to be." Diana rolled her eyes. "It pains me to say this but there has been another attack on two of our students. Ms. Penelope Clearwater and Mr. Seamus Finnigan." There were a few sobs from those who knew the victims. "Professor McGonagall and I will be available for those who would like counseling." Dumbledore made a polite nod towards Clearwater's and Finnigan's parents before continuing just as the doors to the Great Hall swung open and a group of people dressed in official black cloaks came in and stood back in the corner.

"Until the problem has been resolved, all students must not be out in the corridors after 6 pm. Each house will be escorted to and from each class by their Head of House. All after-school activities will be canceled until further notice. Rest assured, your professors and I with the help of the aurors _will_ get to the bottom of this. Now, off you go." Dumbledore said with a wide flourish of his arms. Each house left the Great Hall one by one, a lot of the students sticking to each other like glue, as if the moment one of them gets lost or left behind, the same thing as the petrified victims will happen to them. "Dinner will be served to you in here," Severus said when they were all situated in the Slytherin common room.

"I suggest you all start on your homework or try to occupy yourself accordingly. You won't be able to leave for the rest of the night." The students nodded and split off to do their homework or something of that nature. **_"Prometheus,"_** Diana called out in Parseltongue. She patiently waited for a bit until she saw a familiar black snake slither out from a hole in the stone wall. **_"Yes, mistress?"_** It asked as it slithered across the floor, many of the students were unfazed about the snake. Diana dipped her hand down to the floor and Prometheus slithered up her arm to settle on her shoulder, lounging there like a leopard relaxing on a tree branch.

 ** _"I need you to keep an eye out on our Ravenclaw target. Come to me if there is anymore changes with her."_** The snakes let out a hiss and a silent nod of its diamond-shaped blackhead before giving her an affectionate poke of his snout against her cheek. Prometheus slithered back down her arm and disappeared into the hole once again. "Are you sure it's a good idea to let him roam of like that? What if one of the professors catch him and take him to Dumbledore?" Draco asked, feeling uneasy that the snake was able to go around the castle so early, the others nodding with agreement. Diana sniffed slightly. "Don't worry too much about it. Prometheus knows all of the rat holes in this castle. All of the rat holes are connected somehow. No one will notice him at all."

May 9th, Sunday

The flashing words of the story on the front page of the morning edition of _T_ _he Daily Prophet_ caught Diana's eyes as the school owl dropped off her newspaper. Diana smirked as she carefully read the story as her friends looked on with curiosity at her reaction. "Interesting development." She said as she showed them the front page story. They all sported identical smirks as they turned their attention to the teacher's table. Dumbledore's seat and Hagrid's seat was empty which caused the Great Hall to be filled with conversations from the start of breakfast. Dumbledore was removed from the headmaster position and Hagrid was sent to Azkaban. No one knows why, but there certainly is a lot of speculations going around.

May 24th, Monday

"I'm not lying Kate, I really did see a trail of spiders leading from the castle towards the Forbidden Forest." Diana heard a Gryffindor first-year say to her friend who looked like she was about to pass out from the mention of spiders in the open corridor between classes. "Will you cut it out? You know bloody well I can't stand spiders and now you're telling me a _bunch_ of spiders is roaming around?" The other girl said which caused the previous girl to have a sympathetic apologetic look as the two girls left to go somewhere. "What's so special about these spiders? They're just common house spiders, aren't they?" Draco asked indifferently once the girl was out of hearing range.

Diana shook her head as she slowly walked over to one of the many open corridor windows, displaying a clear view of the Black Lake and the gloomy Forbidden Forest, resting against her crossed arms on the stone ledge. "The spiders are being drawn to something in the forest." She stated simply as she watched a group of older looking students standing at the edge of the water, daring each other to throw something in the lake, most likely betting on who could make the Giant Squid emerge from the murky depths. "But what creature in the forest would draw so many spiders to them?" Hermione asked curiously as she moved to stand next to Diana at the window.

"Acromantulas..." The girls heard Draco said. "How on earth did an Acromantula get into the Forbidden Forest?" Hermione asked with a deep frown on her face, looking across the field to the shadowed forest. Diana snorted unamusingly as she kept her eyes toward the forest. "Who else? That oaf of a giant is the only one who likes dangerous creatures and Dumbledore is the only one he listens to."

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

 ** _"Mistress."_** Diana looked up from the parchment she was writing her essay on when she heard that familiar voice. **_"What is it, Prometheus? Did something happen?"_** She asked as she placed her quill down on the table as Prometheus appeared into view and stopped next to the chair she was sitting in. _**"The target has been restless for the last couple of days. She has been mumbling to herself whenever she is alone. Also, she has been making very frequent trips to the bathroom on the second floor, mistress."**_ The little black snake hissed out, its tiny pink forked tongue flicked out occasionally. Diana let out a small sigh. _**"Very well. Good work, Prometheus. Go back to our target and continue keeping an eye on her."**_

May 29th, Saturday

 **"All students are to return to their house dormitories at once. All professors to the second-floor corridor immediately."** Professor McGonagall's voice echoed throughout the entire school, catching Diana and the gang's attention when they heard the announcement in the library. Diana gave her friends a pointed look as Madam Pince ushered everyone out of the library, the books that were being used were left on the tables. **_"_** ** _Draco, Hermione et moi allons observer la situation._** ** _Nous vous enverrons un code et vous poursuivrez le plan dont nous avons discuté._** ** _" (F)_** (Draco, Hermione, and I will observe the situation. We will send a code and you will proceed with the plan we discussed.) Diana asked her friends as they come to a stop at a junction of the corridor.

They silently nodded and the rest of the gang separated from the three and headed towards the Slytherin's dorm. The trio silently dashed through the empty corridor and come to a stop when they arrived a few meters from the second-floor corridor. They heard the professors talked to each other in panicked voices as they hid behind a corner. They peeked around to see all the professors standing in front of a wall, their faces filled with concern. "As you can see, the heir of Slytherin has left another message. Our worst fear has been realized. A student has been taken by the monster into the chamber itself." Professor McGonagall said shakenly, her face filled with worry and she sighed as the situation didn't give her much choice.

"Students must be sent home. I'm afraid this is the end of Hogwarts." She sounded like she was on the verge of tearing up. The moment was interrupted when Lockhart comes strolling into the scene with a goofy look on his face. "So sorry. Dozed off. What did I miss?" Both Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape had a sour look on their faces. "A girl has been snatched by the monster, Lockhart. Your moment has come at last." Severus said silkily. Lockhart was taken aback by this, his eyes were as wide as dinner plates. "My m-moment?" Severus raised an eyebrow. " Weren't you saying just last night that you knew all along where the entrance of the chamber of secrets is." Lockhart stood there with his mouth hanging slightly open, unsure of what to say to the potions master.

"That's settled. We'll leave you to deal with the monster, Gilderoy. Your skills, after all, are legendary." McGonagall said, her voice bargained no arguments. Lockhart quickly put on a smug smile. "Very well. Um, I'll just be in my office, getting ready." The bungling fool said before turning around and briskly walked back towards the direction of his office. "Who is it the monster has taken, Minerva?" Madame Pomphrey asked Professor McGonagall. The worried look reappeared on the Transfiguration professor's face. "Cindy Milson." With that, Professor McGonagall lead the other professors away to somewhere else, finally letting the trio see what the red message on the wall said, looking suspiciously of blood.

"Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever." Diana read out loud. "We should get going before the professors come back and sees us," Hermione said in a hushed voice. "Let's go," Diana said sand she started making her ways towards Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, the other two following after her. The bathroom was in the same condition the last time they were there. "Who goes there? Oh, it's you guys again." Moaning Myrtle said as her body appeared out of thin air, a pout on her face as she folded her arms across her chest. "What do you want anyway?" She asked. "Myrtle have seen anybody enter this bathroom at all today?" Diana asked, knowing that no one else but Cindy would come here since everyone else was too scared to face the weeping ghost.

"Yeah, that girl I told you about last time you were here. She just walked over to those sinks over there." Moaning Myrtle stated as she pointed over to a group of sinks that was situated in a circle. "She started speaking in tongues and a passageway formed under the sinks. She stepped down there and she hasn't come back up yet." Diana eyes the group of sinks carefully as the ghost finished speaking. "Speaking in tongues...it has to be Parseltongue," Hermione said as she tapped a finger against her chin, something she did when she was thinking. Diana didn't respond as she came to a stop in front of the sinks. A smirk played with her lips when she recognized a familiar symbol on the faucet. **_"Open."_** She hissed out.

Suddenly there was a low rumble, making her two companions think there was an earthquake. To their amazement, the sinks start moving on their own, splitting from each other to reveal a chute. Low clunks could be heard as the sinks finally came to a stop, the mirrors stopped shaking from the rumbling. "Merlin..." Draco managed to say as he and Hermione moved to stand next to Diana. The trio peered down the dark chute, unable to see the end. "I'll go first," Draco said, volunteering himself. He drew out his wand from his robe as he stepped upon the ledge. "Be careful," Diana said a little worried since he was going to be the first one down there.

Draco flashed her a reassuring smile before dropping down the chute. The girls barely had time to see him before he was swallowed by the blackness. The only thing they could hear was the water dripping from the faucet as they waited to hear Draco's voice once reaching the bottom. "All clear." Draco's voice drifted up to them, causing the girls to sigh in relief. "Merlin, it smells like several things have died in here." The girls laughed at this. "Alright, I'm coming down next," Diana said as she stepped onto the ledge. She licked her lower lip. She wasn't going to lie, she was a tiny bit nervous. She took a deep breath before dropping down to the depths below. Her heart raced wildly in her chest when she realized she couldn't see where the chute was taking her as her body slides down in full speed.

She could see an opening charging towards her and she barely had time to react as she was spat out of the chute straight into Draco, who was standing there in an attempt to catch her. "Sorry," Diana said apologetically as she quickly got off of him and helped him off the floor. "I'm alright." Draco started as they dusted themselves off of the dust and he grabbed his lit wand. "Alright, Hermione, come on down!" She yelled up the chute. "See anything interesting?" She asked Draco as she drew out her wand from her robe. _"Lumos."_ She said and the tip of her wand lit up, matching Draco's wand. "I see nothing but bones of animals and dust." The blonde said with a look of disgust on his face. Diana took a couple of steps forward, shinning the light towards the darker areas, seeing that there were many bones cluttered on the floor.

A frightened squeal could be heard as Hermione shot out of the chute right into Draco but this time the blonde didn't fall on his bum this time. "Thanks." The brunette said, a little out of breath as she took a step back from Draco and drew out her wand to bring more light. "You two stay close to me," Diana said as she looked over her shoulder at the two before walking forward. The sounds of water dripping from the ceiling sounded so loud as they walked through the darkness, the sound bouncing off of the stone ceilings and columns masking the sound of their footsteps. "Merlin, this Basilisk must be enormous..." Hermione said with awe in her voice, the light from their wands showing how high up the ceiling was.

They stepped into the huge chamber, enormous snakeheads lined both walls with a long walkway in the middle. Long stalactites formed from the ceiling, dripping with water. "Diana, look over there," Hermione said in a whisper as she pointed down the walkway to a tiny figure laying on the ground in front of a giant carving of a bearded man's face. "That must be the girl," Diana said and the three jogged down the walkway to the still figure. They came to a stop next to the still body and noticed was indeed the Ravenclaw girl. She looked so pale, people would mistake her to be dead. Diana knelt down and touch the girl's cheek with the back of her finger, noticing how icy cold it is. "Her skin is ice cold. That means my father's soul is getting ready to leave her body."

"Kids! What are you guys doing here!"The trio turned around to see Lockhart standing at the entrance into the chamber with his wand out. The buffon ran over to them, his cloak flapping wildly behind him. "So, this is the Chamber of Secrets, huh?" Lockhart said, looking at the walls interestingly. Diana frowned at his timing, the other two noticed her expression and stepped closer to her side. "Why are you down here?" She said, gripping her wand tightly in her hand, not bothering to sugar coat her voice. "Why, I'm here to save you three. You're lucky it's me that down here. If it was the other professors, they would be skinning you three alive. Come on, let's get going." He said.

The trio hesitantly started moving, gathering the Ravenclaw girl in their arms. Diana felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up as she and Draco started lugging the unconscious girl with them, Hermione walking next to them and Lockhart walking behind them. Diana kept looking at her peripheral vision, her body tense as a bowstring. A sudden movement caught her peripheral vision and with a lightning reflex, she let go of the girl's arm and managed to whip up a shield just in time to reflect an _Obliviate_ spell. Diana's eyes narrowed as the other two placed the girl back on the floor and got into position next to Diana, their wands pointing at Lockhart.

"It's about time you showed your true self, Lockhart." Diana sneered. Lockhart looked frustrated at how things turned out. They were supposed to be obliviated right now. "Be good little kids and let me do what I need to do!" He hissed as he shot a stunning spell at Diana. She simply waved her wand and the spell was reflected once again. "You think a fraud like you can hurt me? I don't think so." With another flick of her wand, long strands of rope shot out and coiled tightly around Lockhart, causing the idiot to fall to the floor with an 'oomph' when his legs buckled together. "Now be a good boy and stay still," Diana said in a mocking tone. Draco and Hermione snickered as they stood next to Lockhart as guards to make sure he doesn't run off, who immediately stopped struggling.

Diana then turned her attention back to that giant carving of a man's face. **_"Open."_** She hissed loudly. **_"Open and come out to meet you, master."_** She hissed out again. Suddenly, the mouth of the carving started opening, looking very much like the mouth of a nutcracker, and revealing a very large gaping hole. Something heavy could be heard sliding towards them from within the gaping hole, causing Lockhart to scoot back a little. "Don't look into its eyes until I tell you to," Diana said towards Draco and Hermione, uncaring if Lockhart decided to follow along or not. She watched in amazement as a giant snakehead emerged from the blackness, followed by a seemingly endless length of the body.

 ** _"Master? Where are you, Master?"_** The basilisk hissed, its great head turning side to side to look for that familiar face. _**"I'm right here."**_ Diana hissed in response. The basilisk quickly whipped its head over to the direction of her voice, its red eyes boring down at her as he adverted her eyes to the ground. ** _"You are not my master. Who are you, youngling?"_** It hissed out, an air of curiosity behind that voice. **_"Your master is my father, who isn't here at the moment. However, before we can continue our conversation, can you shield your eyes? I can not look at your glorious self without getting petrified."_** Diana said smoothly, her eyes still looking down at the floor.

There was a brief silence before she heard the basilisk talk again. **_"It is done."_** It said. Diana looked up to see that the basilisk's once red eyes were now a shade darker, looking almost brown, which was normal for snakes when they cover their eyes with the membrane in their eyelid."Ok, you guys can look now." She said as she looked at her companions. **_"Now, speak. Why am I summoned out here? My master has asked me to purify the school."_** Diana had to spend the next couple of minutes to explain what has happened up until now and why the orders of the Dark Lord's soul is invalid. **_"I see. Then I must go back into hiding and wait for my master's next orders."_** It hissed in agreement, turning its head to turn back around to go back into the dark opening.

 ** _"Before you go, can I acquire some of your venom? I, unfortunately, have to deal with an unexpected guest."_** Diana said in a matter-of-fact tone. The basilisk blinked for a second before tilting its head in a silent agreement. Diana swirled her wand in a circle in the air and a silver goblet appeared on the floor in front of her. She bent down to pick it up and lifted up towards the basilisk. **_"Place your venom into this goblet."_** She said and watched as the basilisk lowered its head just a little so one of its large fangs was just right above the silver goblet. Within minutes, a neon-green liquid started dripping from its fangs into the silver cup. Diana started to worry if the venom was going to melt through the silver when she felt the goblet started to heat up in her hands.

It didn't take too long for the goblet be almost filled to the brim. **_"Thank you,"_** Diana said with a polite bow towards the beast as it silently turned around and slithered back into the mouth of the face carving. "Now what are you planning to do with _that_ now?" Draco asked as he walked over to Diana while Hermione remained by Lockhart's side with her wand still pointing at him just as the mouth of the face carving rumbled to a close. Diana smirked as she turned around to face Lockhart. "You've been a thorn in my side since the start of the school year. It's time I do something about you." She sighed dramatically as she wrapped an arm around her own midriff, holding a look of contemplation on her face.

"What should I do? What should I do?" She said with a mocking tone. "Ah, I know!" She said in a dramatic fashion, showing Lockhart the goblet in her hand. "Do you know what happens when you drink basilisk venom?" She asked with an evil smirk on her face as Lockhart's face turn pale once he realized what she was going to do. Draco and Hermione snickered a little at the side. "The venom is so potent, drinking it will cause you to go crazy. Sucks that you gathered all this information for nothing since you won't be able to remember anything after tonight. Besides, who is going to believe a crazy person?" Diana then looked over at the two and they immediately walked over to Lockhart and forced him up off the floor and kicked him onto his knees.

"N-Now, let's think about this, kids. You don't want to hurt me now, do you?" Lockhart stuttered as he tried to persuade the trio while watching Diana walk over to him with the goblet in her hand. "Hold him still," Diana said as Lockhart desperately tried to get away. Draco and Hermione each grabbed an arm while Draco grabbed Lockhart by the hair and forced his back, causing the guy to yelp in pain. Diana took the opportunity to grab his face during the brief distraction, squeezing his cheeks. She was about to pour the liquid into his mouth when a loud pop could be heard echoing through the chamber. The trio quickly looked over, thinking that it was one of the other professors, but only saw the cloaked form of the Dark Lord.

"My Lord." Draco and Hermione said in unison with a polite bow of their head while Diana placed the goblet on the floor and ran over to greet her father with a hug. None of them noticed the aghast look on Lockhart's face at the revelation. "What brings you here, father?" Diana asked once she pulled away from the hug and looked up at Tom. He smiled softly as he gently caressed the top of her head. "I didn't want to miss the show so I came here. With the help of Severus, of course." Severus had long ago figured out a spell to counteract with the one that surrounds Hogwarts, which allows Tom to enter the school without being detected.

Diana grinned evilly. "Then sit back and enjoy the show, father. We are just beginning." Tom chuckled as Diana went back to the prisoner and immediately grabbed his face again. Lockhart started shaking with fear as she starts pouring the venom into his mouth. The poor guy made a garbled noise as the venom quickly went down his throat, his eyes widened with fear and pain as the venom left an acidic effect in its path. "Hermione, pinch his nose before he coughs any of it up," Diana said quickly as she kept pouring the venom in Lockhart's mouth till the last drop. Hermione pinched his nose to force him to swallow the venom before she and Draco let go of Lockhart. The man immediately hunched over, making dry heaving noises and weak coughs before flopping to the floor on his side. Diana quickly _stupified_ the man to let the venom do its work.

"Come, father lets put your soul back into your journal." Diana inquired. "Is my soul still in the girl's body?" Tom asked as he moved to stand next to the Ravenclaw's still body. "I believe so. Her body is deathly cold so I'm assuming it won't be in there for much longer." Tom was silent for a bit before nodding. "Alright. Grab the journal for me, Draco?" He drew out his wand and pointed it at the Ravenclaw as the blonde male picked up the journal. He started mumbling something while moving his wand in a complicated pattern in the direction of the journal. The Ravenclaw's entire body lit up in a soft white glow as something in a similiar color shot out of her body and plunged into the journal.

The Ravenclaw was suddenly overcome with violent coughs, her color looking a little better but still looking pale. Her eyes slowly opened once her cough had subsided. "W-Where am I?" She asked in a weak small voice once her eyes saw there were people around her. "We are here to help you," Diana said as she knelt down while pulling out a glass vial from her school robe and passing it to the girl. "Drink this. Professor Snape made this." The Ravenclaw took the glass vial gingerly, looking at the contents cautiously. "Don't worry, the professors know your down here. Professor Snape made this specifically for you." The Ravenclaw did know that the concoction was a mix of dreamless potion and a new potion Severus had invented. A potion that would make the drinker forget what has occurred in the last few hours.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Have you gone crazy?! Absolutely no way am I going to do that to my own daughter!" Tom looked appalled once the trio told him what he needed to do next after receiving Lockhart's wand. With the addition of Lockhart to take care of, they had to deviate from the original with something drastic. Diana simply rolled her eyes, seeing nothing wrong with what she was asking her father to do. "Father, we really don't have much choice here. Besides, we have to make it look real in order for our story to sell. Please, father?" Tom looked determined not to be swayed by that pleading look in his daughter's eyes but his fatherly instincts kicked in at the last minute. "Fine. I'll the bloody thing." He said with an exasperated sigh.

Diana grinned and the trio spread out into a line in front of him, ready for him to make the first move. Tom refrained from chuckling and raised an eyebrow, his face emotionless. "Come, on. I have to be provoked in order to torture you three." The trio gave him a 'seriously?' look before crossing their arms across their chest. "Old man," Diana said with a bored look on her face. "Geezer," Hermione said with a nonchalant look on her face. "Old timer," Draco said with a deadpan look on his face. Tom raised an eyebrow at this. "Seriously? You three think jabbing at my age is going to work? Try something different." He said, this time folding his arms across his chest.

The trio was silent for a few minutes, thinking about what would trigger the Dark Lord. Diana's face lit up when an idea popped into her head. "Oh, father, I heard some of the professors saying that mother used to be the Gryffindor slag long before she met you." She blurted out. Ok, that did it. She gasped when a sharp pain erupted through her body from the _Crucio_ slamming into her body, causing her to crumble to the floor. She didn't scream as she felt like her blood was boiling in her veins before the curse suddenly ended. Diana stayed on the floor, panting as she heard Draco and Hermione gasping in pain.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

The rest of the gang were sitting in the couches in the Slytherin dorm, reading a chapter in the _Transfiguration Year 2_ textbook to complete the essay due on Monday when they felt their rings warm up and light tapping against their finger. **_"_** ** _\- ... . / .-. .-.. .- -. / ... - .- .-. - ... / -. - .- .-.-.-"_** (The plan starts now.) They silently glanced at each other before Pansy rushed to the dorm she was sharing with Hermione and Daphne and grabbed a small porcelain container that was filled with Floo powder. She walked back to the common area and passed it to Blaise who immediately grabbed a pinch of the green powder and threw it in the blazing fire. Being that several members of his family work in the British Auror and in the Italian Auror Department of the Ministry, they decided to let him do the talking.

The other students in the dorm didn't even react at this, being that they knew something was happening and didn't question the gang since they were their Lady's confidants."Ministry of Magic Auror Department," Blaise said clearly as the flames flared into green flames and a female's head immediately appeared into the flames. "This is the Auror Department, how may I help you?" She said in a drawl. Blaise put on a panicked look on his face. "Get Auror Shecklebolt for me. Please hurry, its an emergency." The woman's face had a sour look before disappearing. A dark-faced man's head appeared in the flames after a few minutes. "Ah, Mr. Zabini, what is the problem?" The man asked, his deep voice echoed in the Slytherin common room.

"You have to come to the castle, sir! Something bad has happened to my friends!" Blaise started yelling in a panicked toned. "Woah, woah, woah, slow down son and tell me exactly what has happened," Shacklebolt said in a calming voice. Blaise took a deep breath to calm down before speaking again. "Something is wrong with Professor Lockhart. He-He just came into the Slytherin dorm somehow and forced Draco, Hermione, and Natalya out of the dorm at wand point." Shacklebolt's eyes widened a little. "What?! Are you sure about this, son? Do you know where he has taken them?" Blaise quickly nodded, looking a little pale. "I-I think he is taking them to the girl's bathroom on the second floor. He says that he is going to open the Chamber of Secrets."

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"What in the world is going on, Shacklebolt?" McGonagall said, frazzled as she stepped up to the headmaster outside of his office, clutching her dress robe closely to her body. All the professors had gathered in the corridor in request of Shacklebolt. "My apologies for calling you out here, Minerva, but I have received a troubling message from someone in this castle about one of your professors, Mr. Gilderoy Lockhart. He has taken three of your students into the Chamber of Secrets." The professors' eyes widened at this. "What are you trying to say, Kingsley? Who gave you this message?" McGonagall asked heatedly. Shacklebolt raised an eyebrow as the aurors he had rounded up arrived into the castle and stood in attention behind him. "You know I can't tell you that, Minerva. Informant confidentiality. This is an on-going investigation."

"What do you want us to do, sir?" One of the aurors asked Shacklebolt. The man turned to look at McGonagall, his expression serious. "Take me to the girl's bathroom. The informant told me that Lockhart may have taken the kids there." The professors looked at each other cautiously before agreeing to take the aurors to the said destination.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

Tom carefully moved the trio around to make the scene more believable, making sure to leave trails of blood after him. He grimaced when he looked at his daughter's face, her skin littered with specks of blood and small nicks. He had gone further than the _Cruciatus_ curse, throwing in a few cutting curses here and there. The old fool will be here any moment with the aurors and it won't do to be caught here. He placed a final kiss on Diana's forehead before making his way over to the still unconscious Lockhart. " _Renervate."_ He said, pointing his wand at the figure and Lockhart groaned awake. Before the man could even say anything else, Tom shot an _Obliviate_ at him, causing him to have a blank expression on his face.

He placed a false memory into his mind and a pretty strong one at that. He had always been good at _Obliviation_ and has managed to put false memories into people without it being detected by others, even better than Lockhart. Once he made sure that the false memory was perfect, he ended the spell. Lockhart looked dazed for a minute. "Where am I?" He mumbled just as Tom apparated out of the chamber, taking the journal with him. Lockhart looked over at the unconscious trio laying the floor, the false memory shot through his mind and he started laughing maniacally as he stumbled to his feet. His laugh echoed around the chamber and was so loud, it traveled to the area the chute was at just as some of the aurors appeared from inside.

Shacklebolt silently motioned for the four aurors behind him to be prepared and made hand motions to signal for a tactical approach. The aurors split off, one group against one wall while the other went against the opposite with their wands drawn. They slowly edged to the corner and was careful to keep their heads down as they peeked a look. One of the aurors sent another silent hand motion to Shacklebolt and with a silent confirmation, the group quickly came out from their hiding spot, their wands pointed at the crazed Lockhart who was standing above the trio. "Stop right there, Lockhart!" Shacklebolt yelled over the laughter. "Put your wand down and step away from the kids, now!"

Lockhart didn't seem to hear this and was about to raise his wand to do Merlin knows what when a stunning charm hit him and fell to the floor in a crumpled mess. "Restrain him. The rest of you go see those three over there." Shacklebolt said, sounding winded as he ordered his aurors to take care of things before walking over one of the aurors who was looking over Diana while the remaining two went to Draco and Hermione. "Sir, she has been tortured the most. She has a laceration on her stomach. I have managed to heal the wound somewhat but she still needs to be taken to the infirmary. If this is what she has gone through, the other two is in no better shape then she is."

The auror said. Without even asking another question, he lifted Diana's limp body in his arms bridal style and turned to look at the two aurors. "We need to get these four to the infirmary immediately."

May 30th, Sunday

"He has admitted to everything, Albus," Shacklebolt said, his answer unwavering. Albus let out a frustrated sigh as he and the Head Auror walked together through the corridor towards the infirmary, students dodging out of their way as they headed towards their next class. It was the next day after the incident and all of the students have heard that someone else has been petrified but haven't gotten any more information than that. The Board of Governors had an emergency meeting and they all agreed to reinstate Dumbledore to the Hogwart's Headmaster position."He has admitted that he has taken those students down to the chamber. Even yourself has stated that Lockhart has been repeatedly saying that he knows the location of the chamber the day before this incident." Shacklebolt said in a low voice so that the students couldn't hear him.

Albus couldn't deny that. Practically all the professors have heard him say that at least two separate times. "But that doesn't explain how he opened it. Legend says that Salazar Slytherin has made the chamber and can only be opened with his direct descendant." Albus then asked. Shacklebolt didn't seem surprised by this question and had an answer right away. "He says that Ms. Ivanov can imitate how a snake talks. He must have thought using her to open the chamber would work and his guess was right." Albus shook his head at that answer. "That may explain this current event but what about the events that have happened since the start of the school year? Lockhart wouldn't have known Ms. Ivanov would be capable of mimicking Parseltongue."

"That may be true but if it was that easy for Ms. Ivanov to learn how to speak Parseltongue, whose to say someone else could have learned it as well?" Shacklebolt simply stated. "Well, what about Ms. Milson? What did she say about the events?" Dumbledore implored. Shacklebolt shook his head. "She says she doesn't remember. All she remembers is being in the girl's bathroom on the second floor then waking up in the infirmary." He said as they arrived at the doors of the infirmary. He pushed the doors opened and stepped inside with Dumbledore.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Do you have more questions, Auror Shacklebolt? You already asked her this morning" Tom asked Shacklebolt when he arrived at Diana's bed after visiting Draco's and Hermione's and their parents. The man shook his head with a warm smile as he looked briefly at Diana's sleeping face. "No, I'm just checking to see how the kids are doing before I head back to the headquarters to finish up the paperwork." He gave a final bow towards Tom and then to Dumbledore before leaving the infirmary. "I have a question for you. Why is it the uncle is here rather than the father?" Tom didn't have to turn around to see who Dumbledore was talking to.

Tom clenched his teeth a little as he slowly got up and turned around to face the old man. "I'm here because the _father_ would rather be at home so he doesn't have the urge to punch someone." He said coldly, his eyes staring down at Dumbledore. The old man didn't relent though, staring back at Tom. Madame Pomphrey came out of her office when she noticed the two grown men glaring daggers into each other. "Gentlemen, is there something wrong?" She asked as she walked over, hoping that these two don't fight in the infirmary filled with students. "May I take my niece home now, Madame Pomphrey?" Tom immediately asked the woman without skipping a beat, catching Madame Pomphrey off guard.

"Sir, I still haven't given her a full bill of health. I recommend she stay here a few more nights." She said, albeit a little cautiously when his intense eyes flickered over to her. "I appreciated what you have done for my niece, but I must say," Tom said, his eyes glared coldly at Dumbledore. "Her parents and I feel much better with her at home while she is resting." Rather than letting the situation escalate, Madame Pomphrey relented. "Very well then. I'll need you to sign her discharge form." She bustled away back into her office to grab said form as Tom pulled the covers off of Diana and with a flick of his wand, her clothes had changed into her favorite black track shorts and a graphic t-shirt.

Madame Pomphrey came back with a parchment paper and a quill. "Sign there at the bottom, sir." She said as she passes Tom the quill. He took the offered quill and signed on the bottom. "Will that be all, Madame Pomphrey?" The elderly woman nodded as she rolled the parchment in her hand. Without even glancing over at Dumbledore, he picked up Diana into his arms, making sure that she was secured around his waist before moving towards the door to leave. Before he passed through the doors, he turned around to look at Dumbledore with stone cold eyes. "I suggest you tread lightly, Dumbledore. You have made many enemies, especially from my country." He was about to start walking again when another thing popped up into his mind and turning around to face him again.

"Oh and also, Dumbledore. I'm not as cautious of the Ministry as my dear brother-in-law. Make another wrong move and you'll have me to answer to." His eyes filled with raw intent before turning one last time and left the infirmary.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

Diana groaned softly as her eyes flickered open, her eyelids felt so heavy as her eyes tried to adjust to the bright lights coming from the afternoon sunlight beaming through the open windows. Her hands moved from under the covers and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, noticing that she was in her room. The door to her room opened and Tom strolled in, smiling softly when he realized she was up. "How long have I been asleep?" Diana asked as she slowly sat up, her body feeling a little sore. "About 6 hours," Tom said as he sat in the chair that was positioned next to the bed. Her eyes widened at how long she had slept for, her stomach growling in protest as well. Tom chuckled when he heard that sound. "Come, I'll have Scab make you dinner." He said.

Dinner did sound really good right now. "Wait here." She said to her father as she hopped off her bed and walked over to her personal bathroom. She freshened up a little before exiting the bathroom and raised her arms toward her father. A silent order for him to carry her down to the dining room. Tom chuckled at this and gladly picked his daughter up. It certainly felt good to carry her in his arms, something he couldn't do in many years.


	12. Chapter Twelve

[A/N: WOW 85 favorites and 121 subscribers~! I'm glad that so many of you like it! I hope you all had a fun and safe Halloween! To those who just subscribed to my story or 'favorite' my story, thank you all at the bottom of my heart! I'm glad that so many of you are still following me even though things in the story are progressing slowly. I have taken direct quotes from the movie and books, so credits to JK Rowling. As usual, the foreign languages in this story are translated from Google Translate so, please let me know if something seems off. If any of you have a fanfiction request, hit me up on PM! As always, please, comment, subscribe and favorite my story and stay tuned for the next chapter~!]

Chapter 13

June 1st, Tuesday

"Can I be taken out of bed-stay now, father?" Diana whined a little. She had been on mandatory bed-stay since she had arrived back in the manor and she was incredibly bored just laying there with her books to keep her company. Tom rolled his eyes as he leaned over to pull the covers closer to her chin. "You're still experiencing some soreness in your muscles. Be a good girl and just stay in bed for a few more days." Diana glared at her father and was about to say something when a gentle rap on her bedroom door interrupted her. "Enter," Tom said without even looking over his shoulder at the door. Severus stepped in and closed the door behind him with a gentle snap. "Excuse me for the interruption. I have some news." He said while bowing his head in a sign of respect.

"Finally." Diana groaned with relief, causing the Potions master to chuckle as she slowly sat up. Tom sighed softly in defeat as he helped her lean back against her pillow. At least she wasn't getting out of bed. "Proceed." He commanded and Severus bowed his head again before speaking. "All the victims have been unpetrified. Dumbledore even tried to question them to get more answers but they can't remember anything past the part when they saw the basilisk's eyes. The aurors and _The Daily Prophet_ reporters have been relentless about asking Dumbledore about Lockhart and if he had known that Lockhart was a fraud and was going to be like this." Tom looked amused while Diana smirked evilly. "What did the old coot say?" She inquired.

Severus smirked slightly. "He outright denied that he knew such things. He even says that Lockhart had been acting strange the last few weeks after the aurors uncovered all of the fraudulent things in his office." Both Tom and Diana cursed out loud at this news.

June 3rd, Thursday

"What was it like down there in the chamber?" Theo inquired, excitement lighting up his eyes. Pansy tutted at his words, shooting him a little glare. "Of course it going to be absolutely horrid down there. Right, Diana?" Diana was about to about to say something but apparently, the two decided to get into their own little argument, causing the rest of the gang in her room laugh softly. Their laughter masked the sound of knocking on her door and Christopher stepped inside with his hands stuffed in his pant pockets, a smile on his face. "What are you squirts doing? You better not be bothering her too much. Severus still wants you to rest as much as you can." Diana let out a low groan before pointing a finger at her brother, a face on her face as the gang laughed at her expression, all except for Hermione who was blushing a little when he came in.

"You better not bring him in here. My room is off limits to him."Christopher chuckled as he turned around, nodding his head. "Alright." no one noticed Hermione biting her lower lip gently, deep in thought before she quickly got off the bed. "I'll be right back, guys," Hermione said quickly before leaving the room, causing everyone to look curiously at her back. "I wonder where she is going off to." Pansy wondered before shrugging her shoulders and getting back to the conversation she was having with Theo, Draco popping in the conversation to put his side of the story about being down in the chamber every now and then, none of them noticing Diana was silent for a just a minute before a knowing smirk appeared on her lips. She saw the blush appear on the brunette's face just now and she could guess where the girl was right now.

June 20th, Sunday

"I don't see why we have to learn this muggle crap." Yaxley scowled angrily as he tossed the folded sheet of parchment haphazardly onto the granite table. "It serves us no purpose." Christopher sighed annoyingly as he massaged his forehead. He was taking his father's throne for today because Tom had a meeting with Durmstrang's headmaster and the gang was standing right behind the throne with Diana sitting next to him. "I don't care if you don't feel like it is useful to you, Yaxley. I suggest you learn it like the rest of your colleagues." He hissed at the man. Yaxley looked like he wanted to object but he thought better of it and he folded his arms across his chest. "Yes, my Lord."

Diana noticed the Death Eater was silent mumbling something, and as she read his lips, she knew whatever he was saying wasn't nice at all. She was about to say something when out of the corner of her eye, she sees a wand drew a pattern in the air so fast that it was all a blur. All the sudden, Yaxley let out a muffled yelp of surprise and starts frantically touching his mouth, causing the other Death Eaters' eyes widen when they realized what was happening. Diana frowned and was about to say something to Yaxley when the man quickly turned to face them to reveal that his lips were stitched shut with black yarn. The gang quickly whipped their head over to Hermione, who had a satisfied smirk on her face while still keeping her wand pointed at him before turning their attention back to the clearly freaked out Yaxley.

"Bloody hell, Mione. What did you do?" Draco said in bewilderment while some of the gang were cracking up in hilarity. Yaxley glared furiously at them, they would have been burned to crisp. Christopher chuckled lowly as he turned to look over at Hermione who was at this time standing next to him. "Nicely done, Mione. Even better, wordless." Hermione flushed bright pink at her comment, a shy smile on her lips for him. "However, I think he has learned his lesson. Release the spell, Mione." He said, holding back a smile when he saw her pout at the lost of the fun and with a final swish of her wand, the stitch disappeared and Yaxley could finally open his mouth.

"Do that again Yaxley and I'll let Hermione here practice more spells on you," Christopher said with a hard glare in his eyes. "I have been teaching her some of the spells I have learned from school and I must say, she is soaking everything up like a sponge."

July 13th, Tuesday

Lightning flashed through the dark sky, lighting up the cobbled streets of Diagon Alley for only just a moment before the summer rain came falling down. A ragged looking dog stocked through the shadows, seemingly unbothered by the rain. Multiple loud pops could be heard from a couple of feet away and the sound of voices shouting in the dark. "Spread out, all of you! Make sure to check every crevice! He has Auror Larson's wand! Black must not leave London!" One voice shouted. The dog shrunk a little in the shadows when two aurors ran passed the area he was hiding, the light they were using danced around. There was another way he could go. The dog whipped around and bounded around the back corner.

None of the aurors were present as he came to a cross section into a back alley. _Wizarding London is so large, they can never catch me out here._ He thought. Another lightning flashed through the night sky, displaying the dog's soaked black fur as it ran down the rain-soaked streets. Sirius Black has escaped the infamous Azkaban.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

Diana jolted awake from her sleep as the sound of thunder rumbled outside. She sat up as she looked at the curtain-drawn windows through blurry eyes. Did the thunder wake her up? It usually didn't. Her throat felt dry. Diana groaned to herself as she pulled the covers off of her and climbed out of bed. She wasn't chilled at all as she left her room in just her t-shirt and booty shorts. The corridor was dark except for the flashes of lightning off in the distance. Diana held onto the brass railings as she stepped down the marble staircase, her feet barely making a noise with each step. She finally made it to the ground floor and turned down the hallway towards the kitchen when she noticed a light peeking out from the slightly cracked doors of the main office. W _ho could be up at this hour?_ She thought.

Diana chews lightly on her lower lip as she slowly walked towards the main office. The door was cracked open half way so she had a clear view inside the office as she stopped next to the door. She could see her father, Christopher, Valentina, Stepan, and the Malfoys talking to a man with unkempt black hair. _Why are they here?_ As if Tom could hear her thoughts, he looked over his shoulder straight at her. "Princess, what are you doing over there? Come inside. There is someone I want you to meet." Everybody else in the room turned to look at the door in shock as she stepped into the room, looking slightly sheepish for possibly waking her up. "I'm sorry for eavesdropping on your conversation, father, but the door was wide open," Diana said.

Tom didn't look the slightest bit bothered as he reached out to gently grab her hand and pulled her to sit down next to him on the couch with Valentina and Stepan. "Do you see that man over there?" He asked, slightly motioning towards the unknown man sitting on one of the couches. Diana raised an eyebrow at how disheveled and haggard he looked just sitting there with his black trench coat hanging loosely off of him. "You mean the man who looks like he just came out of prison?" She asked, causing the unknown man to laugh, sounding more like barks then anything as he showed his yellowing teeth. "She has Lily's sense of humor. I bet she has her scathing tongue as well."

Tom chuckled as he gently caressed the back of her head, looking into her eyes with his red ones. "Yes. I want you to meet your Godfather. Sirius Black." Diana widened slightly as she looked over at the ragged looking man. "My godfather?" Tom nodded and spent the time to explain to her where this man has been the last 12 years. "How on Earth did you manage to escape Azkaban? The place is practically a fortress. No one can leave in or out of that place without the consent of the Ministry." Diana looked on with awe.

July 14th, Wednesday

"Diana, what are we doing here?" Draco whispered as he and Diana stood in the main office in their pajamas early the next morning. Last night, the Malfoys decided to stay for the rest of the night instead of heading back to their manor because Narcissa didn't want to leave her cousin's side just yet. Sirius has taken to occupying one of the large sofas in the office that was a little firm, mentioning that it was better for him to gradually get used to sleeping on something as soft as a mattress being that he has been sleeping on the cold floor for the past 12 years. His snoring was so loud, it reverberated through the room, making Draco flinch when the man snorted in his sleep and scratched his stomach with gnarled yellow fingernails while kicking the blanket off one leg.

Diana smirked as she produced a black marker out of thin air and showed it to Draco. The blonde smirked one he understood what she was about to do. "Don't count me out."

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Children, what are you doing?" Valentina asked as she and Narcissa peeked into the main office, originally going to make sure Sirius was sleeping well but noticed the two were already in there. Diana and Draco were trying not to laugh hysterically as they turned slightly to show the women what they were doing. Valentina and Narcissa gasped in unison when they saw the black ink doodles on Sirius' face before they had to bite their inner cheek to not laugh. "Children, you should know better not to do that to your elders," Narcissa said, trying to sound disappointed but her twinkling eyes from utter amusement gave her away. "You two better get out of here before Sirius wakes up," Valentina said with a smile as she gently pats their backs.

The women could practically see the devil horns and tails attached to them as they ran off to get changed for the day.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"There needs to be a meeting soon to welcome Sirius. We also need to address bringing more werewolves to our cause." Tom mentioned to Lucius and Stepan over breakfast while the women and kids talked softly to each other. Out of nowhere, a girly-manly scream echoed through the mansion, causing everyone at the table to stop eating and looked at each other. The silence was broken when Diana and Draco burst out laughing, clutching their stomach from the stitches on their side. The women tried not to laugh as they dipped their head, their shoulders shaking. The men chuckled, already guessing that the kids did something. "Alright, what did you two kids do?"

Sounds of running footsteps could be heard coming towards them, and Sirius came barreling into the dining room, looking like a right mess. His already matted hair was haphazardly sticking in all different directions from sleep, making the black doodles on his face even wackier looking. "Sirius, wipe off that ridiculous drawing off your face. It is unbecoming of you." Lucius said, his face completely blank of any emotion except for the rather amused look in his cobalt eyes. Sirius looked slightly flustered as he sent his cousin's husband a glare before sending Diana and Draco a look that promise revenge later and left the room to hopefully wash the ink off his face.

July 17th, Saturday

"Neville?" Augusta called out as she stepped into her grandson's workout room with a letter in hand. "Yes, Grandmother?" Neville asked breathlessly as he stepped back from a punching bag that he had installed a while back when he changed the room from a spare bedroom, sweat glistening on his skin. Augusta passed him the letter. "An owl just came for you. It's from Diana." She said as she turned around to leave the room. Neville was silent for a minute before turning the envelope over in his hand and broke the wax seal as the door to the room closed shut after his grandmother. He unfolded it completely and starts reading it silently, his eyes darting side to side along the elegantly written words.

A smirk played with his lips as he reached the end of the letter. Another meeting. He was _definitely_ going to be there. He folded it back up again and placed it back in the envelope before tossing it on a small table with a towel that was up against the wall. He grabbed the towel and used it to wipe the sweat off his face before lounging it over the back of his neck and left the work out room. He sauntered down the grand staircase to the ground floor and turned to head towards the door to the backyard. "Neville, where are you going?" Augusta called out from the parlor room where she was sitting on the couch, reading one of her favorite books, as he walked by. Neville smirked a little as he continued walking. "I'm heading out to the garden to practice on the garden gnomes."

July 20th, Tuesday

"Well, well, you look more deplorable than the last time I saw you," Severus said silkily. Black scowled at the man. "Hardy har har, Snivillus. I have a bone to pick with you. I see that you have been teaching my goddaughter one of your many childish pranks." Severus smirked at this, knowing what he was talking about. "Take that as a welcome home gift. I'm _sure_ Azkaban doesn't miss your mangy ass." Sirius was about to make a snappy comeback when Diana stepped into the room. "Father wants us to come in now. The meeting is about to start soon." The two grown men silently nodded and followed her out to see the gang was waiting for her as well. They all walk through the familiar walkway, their footsteps echoed.

By the time they have reached the meeting chamber, Severus and Sirius had their Death Eater masks on. They stepped through the doors into the front of the chamber. All the mask-covered faces looked at the newcomers as the Dark Lord started to speak, many silently wondering who the person was under that new mask. "All of you may be wondering why I have called you here. I bring good news that one of our own has come back to our ranks." The Death Eaters mumbled to each other. Who could it be? Tom silently motioned to the unknown person to step it up to his throne. The Dark Lord waved his hand over the mask, watching it disappear in black smoke, to reveal Sirius' gaunt face.

The chamber was bombarded with gasps and rather angry conversations."How in the world is he here?" One asked. "Wasn't he in Azkaban?" Another asked in a low mumble. "Silence." Tom hissed loudly, causing everyone to be quiet again. The Dark Lord was silent as he red eyes glanced over the Death Eaters, making each and every one of them squirm where they stand. "It seems like many of you disapprove Sirius coming back to us. Why is that?" Tom inquired, his head tilting a little to the side. No one wanted to answer him, for fear of getting the _Cruciatus_ treatment. "What about you, Bellatrix? Certainly, you miss your cousin very much?" Tom then asked, turning his gaze at the woman.

Bellatrix tilts her head up to showcase her obvious noble upbringing, her black eyes glaring coldly at the escaped convict. "Sirius is no cousin of mine, my Lord, He brings much shame to the House of Black, my poor aunt Walburga must be spinning in her _grave_." She said scathingly while stepping out from the ranks, Roldolphus cackling joyfully behind her. Sirius glared back at her as well, stepping forward away from the throne. "I wouldn't be so sure of that, Bella. I have made my mother proud by joining the ranks of the Dark Lord. You on the other hand? You have failed to produce an heir. Oh, my poor Aunt Druella had always wanted another grandson to spoil. She-" Sirius was cut off when a fluorescent purple colored spell shot towards him from Roldolphus' wand.

Everybody in the room barely had time to react, let alone blink, as Sirius whipped out the wand he had stolen from out of the hands of an auror from within his robes. With a lazy flick of his wrist, the spell disappeared into thin air. As if Roldolphus anticipated this, he shot off many worldless spells one after the other. He wasn't named one of the Dark Lord's best faithful servants for nothing. The gang watched in awe as Sirius dodged all of the spells with such ease, always managing to disappear seconds before the spell would have hit his body. Roldolphus shot off three more spells with a yell of frustration when not even a single spell could hit the escaped convict. Sirius easily dodged those as well, waiting for an opportunity to arrive. There was a brief moment as Roldolphus scurried back and got ready to cast more spells.

Sirius took the opportunity and shot an unknown dark spell at the man. Diana watched curiosity as Roldolphus dropped to the floor like a rag doll and started screaming in agony as fresh lacerations appeared on his skin that was exposed. Bellatrix called out to him with concern as she knelt down next to him. Black liquid oozed from the wounds and a rather pungent odor started drifting through the air. "Ew, what's that God-awful smell?" Pansy pointed out while covering her mouth and nose with her hand. Sirius chuckled as he simply waved his wand again and the spell immediately but the odor still lingered in the air. "That, Pansy, is a nice little spell I invented. I made Roldolphus' blood infested with fungus."

He then turned his attention back to Bellatrix, who was glaring murderously at him. "You might want to get him checked up, Bella. Unless you want him to die a painful death." He said with an evil smirk. The moment was interrupted as Tom's booming laughed echoed through the chamber. "You've done well, Sirius. Take your husband to get treated, Bella." He said, waving his hand to dismiss her offhandedly. "Is there anybody else who wants to challenge Sirius?" The Dark Lord asked. "You think you're so high and mighty now huh?" One Death Eater sneered as he stepped out from the ranks. Everybody raised an eyebrow at this "You?" Diana scoffed coldly as she folded her arms across her chest, already getting bored of this meeting.

"You couldn't even beat me or my friends on a one-to-one duel. What on Earth makes you think you can beat my Godfather?" The Death Eater's face turned red from embarrassment at the memory of being bested by a bunch of kids while the rest of the Death Eaters snickered behind him. "You shut up, you stupid cunt! Kids should be quiet while the _adults_ are talking!" He shouted venomously, glaring hard at Diana as he pointed rudely at her, all thoughts of her being the daughter of the Dark Lord flew out the window. Tom glared hard at the man as he started standing up to show the guy a piece of his mind when Diana put up a hand to stop him while still looking at the Death Eater with an expressionless face. Tom frowned slightly but did as she wanted, sitting back down in his throne.

Diana let out a dramatic sigh as she rubbed the heel of her palm against her right ear like his words disturbed her hearing while the rest of the gang glared hard at him. "Crabbe, Goyle." She simply said as she stopped rubbing her ear and looked up to see Crabbe's and Goyle's burly form storm over to the man who was backing away slightly in fear. Sounds of a fist connecting with something filled the room proceeded with a loud groan as Crabbe and Goyle grabbed both of the Death Eater's arms and forced him to get back up onto his feet. "Neville." Diana softly called out, taking the Gryffindor slightly off guard as he turned to look over his shoulder at her.

"Yes, my Lady?" He said while turning completely to face her, bowing his head slightly, making Diana smirk softly."I've heard that you have been working out since the end of the school year. Is that true?" Neville briefly looked up at Diana before turning his eyes back down to the floor. "Yes, my Lady. I've been practicing kickboxing, a muggle form of exercise." The room was filled with mumbles as the Death Eaters talked softly to each other. "Perfect. Care to give us a demonstration?" The Gryffindor looked back up at her again from surprise, noticing an evil smirk on her face. _Show them what you can do._ Neville was silent for a minute before giving a silent nod and turned around to face the Death Eater while receiving an encouraging smile from Pansy off to the side.

"Unfortunately, my demonstration won't be as good as I intended it to be, my Lady. I've only been practicing on punching bags, not on something soft like this disrespectful ingrate." Neville sneered coldly as he took his time taking off his cloak, causing the gang and those in the Dark Lord's inner circle to chuckle. "No worries. I'm sure it will be entertaining none the less." Diana smirked as she turned to sit down in the throne chair, crossing her legs over the other. "Exactly, mate. I'm sure this soft punching bag will make an excellent practice session." Draco smirked coldly, causing Neville to chuckle lowly as he moved to stand in front of the captured Death Eater, who seemed to have forgotten the punch to the stomach, and was glaring up at Neville.

"You can't do _anything_ to me, Longbottom! You're just as pathetic as your parents!" Neville simply raised an eyebrow at his remarks. "Is that so?" He asked with mocking curiosity. Without any warning, the Gryffindor cocked his arm back and drove his fist into the Dark Eater's stomach, causing the guy to let out a grunt as he immediately hunched over coughing out blood. He could have crumbled to the floor if Crabbe and Goyle still weren't holding onto his arms. The gangs' eyes widened in amazement at how hard the Gryffindor had to punch the guy for him to spit out his blood, the crimson spots standing out on the white marble floor. The chamber was completely silent, many couldn't hide the look of shock from their faces.

Neville pulled his hand from the man's stomach and reached up to grab him by the hair and forced him to look up at him through pained eyes. "If I was so pathetic, then how did I make you keel over like a wimp?" Neville asked in a soft voice, his cold brown eyes were the only things showing his furious anger. He tasked when he didn't get an answer and let go of his hair, letting the head flop back down before turning around to walk back to stand with the gang. Goyle and Crabbe let the Death Eater crumble to the floor once they realized he wasn't going to be a threat for now. Neville grinned as Draco, Blaise, and Theo clapped him on the back, whispering praise about wanting to learn kickboxing from him.

Tom was enjoying every moment of it, the delighted smirk could barely be contained on his face as he silently motioned to Severus with his eyes to go see the probably unconscious Death Eater. Severus nodded his head before strolling over to the body while drawing out his wand. He lazily flicked his wand to perform the simple diagnostic charm. Nothing too severe. Probably going to be feeling the bruised stomach for a while though. To finish up the simple examination, he knelt down with his back towards the other Death Eaters and with his wand-free hand, he gently lifted the man's shirt to see what kind of damage Neville inflicted on the guy. His eyes widened at the sight, the others straining their neck to see what has happened.

Severus looked over his shoulder at Tom and silently motioned for him to come over. The Dark Lord raised an eyebrow as he smoothly got out of his chair and strolled over to the Potion Master. Tom's eyes widened slightly at the sight as well. To think that a mere third year could create so much damage with just his fist. **" _Printsessa, privedi syuda svoikh druzey. Vy vse dolzhny eto videt'." (R)_** (Princess, bring your friends over here. You all need to see this.) The gang looked at each other with confusion as they all walked over to where the adults were standing. **_"Chto eto, otets?" (R)_** (What is it, father?) Tom simply motioned to the man's stomach. _**"Vash drug - sil'nyy boyets." (R)**_ (Your friend is a strong fighter.)

Diana let out a soft gasp when her eyes saw the rather large bruise that has already formed on the man's belly, matching the rest of the gang's reaction. She could barely make out an imprint of a small fist on the blotchy colored skin when the flames from the fireplace shined on the skin a certain way. Theo whistled in admiration, causing Neville's face to turn a little pink. "I went a little overboard, didn't I?" Sirius snorts as he walked over to stand next to the Gryffindor. "You have potential, Neville. If you'll allow me, I can help you hone your skills. In fact, _all_ of you have potential. I can help train all of you. How does that sound?" The gang was silent for a second, looking at each other and came to the same conclusion before Diana blurted out their answer. "Hell yeah. Let's start after my birthday. I'm not willing to be sore on my special day."

July 22nd, Thursday

"Blimey, you have everything in here," Draco said with amazement as he, Blaise, and Theo were lead into the workout room by Neville. The Gryffindor chuckled as he let his friends explore a little bit. "Its not much, but its just enough to get a good workout." He took the moment to pull out the punching bag that was attached to a metal stand with wheels. "So, this is the punching bag?" Blaise wondered as he reached out to touch the bag, squeezing the material in his hand as his eyebrows knitted a little. Neville grinned as he rested his arm against the metal frame while the guys looked curiously at the punching bag. "Yup." Theo grinned and got ready in a stance, his hands balled up into fists to get ready to start punching but to only have Neville stop him right there.

"Woah, woah, before any of you start punching, you guys need to stretch." The guys rolled their eyes. "Really? We don't need that, Neville. We're all ready." Neville raised an eyebrow, a smirk cocked the corner of his lips but he relented. "Fine." He walked over to stand next to the punching bag. "Draco." He said, motioning with his finger to the blonde to have him step up to the punching bag. "Punch the bag as hard as you can." Draco grinned as he copied Theo's stance in front of the bag, his hands balled into tight fists. Neville got behind the punching bag to hold it so it doesn't go swinging too much, patiently waiting for the blonde to punch.

Draco let out a few deep breaths before taking a step forward while cocking his arm back and driving his fist into the bag, making a soft smacking noise. The blonde hissed softly as he cradled his stinging fist in his hand. "Merlin, that hurts." Neville chuckled while Blaise and Theo snickered behind the blonde. "You have a good form, Draco. The pain will eventually go away. You just need to practice every day and you'll get used to it. Alright, Blaise, you're up next." Neville said, motioning for the Italian to step forward while Draco stepped back to nurse his numb fist much to Theo's amusement. Blaise got into position and punched the bag but ended up cursing softly as he stepped back a little. "Sorry, it's hard to punch this thing like it's a real person."

Neville seemed to understand this, a knowing smirk on his face. "I had the same problem as you when I was first starting. Do you want to know my secret?" His friends just nodded in unison. "I just imagined this bag was Weasel. Just a glance at his ugly face always makes me want to punch the living daylights out of him. Try that." The boys had identical evil smirks as Neville motioned for Blaise to try again. Blaise got back into his fighting stance, taking a few deep breaths before punching the bag again, this time much harder. "Good." Neville praised Blaise as Theo stepped up for his turn.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Wait, can you do that again?" Draco asked Neville. The Gryffindor nodded and quickly got back into his fighting stance, bending his knees a little before swinging his leg around in roundhouse kick, albeit a little shaky and slow since Neville had just started practicing this move, his foot smacking against the freestanding punching bag. You know, the one that has water in the plastic base to keep it still. "Alright, Draco you try first," Neville said, immediately calling out the blonde again. Draco looked unsure about this as he moved to stand next to the Gryffindor. The blonde's movement was choppy and ridiculously slow as he started swinging his leg to hit the punching bag but rather than gaining any momentum, the blonde started to lose his footing only to be caught by Neville.

"You're going too slow, mate," Neville said as he helped the blonde onto his feet, ignoring the muffled laughs coming from behind them. "I know. I just need to rest." Draco said in a tired voice, sending glares over at Theo and Blaise. Well, they have been at this for over an hour now. Neville snapped his fingers and a house elf appeared. "Young master Neville called for Lurch?" It squeaked while bowing lowly. "Grab a glass of water for me and my friends," Neville said as he grabbed three towels off the little table and tossed it to his friends.

July 31st, Saturday

Diana gasped and yelped as she fell into the cool pool water before she had the chance to take off the clothes she wore over her two-piece swimsuit. She quickly popped her head up, quickly wiping the water off her face as she heard the rest of the gang laughing joyously, hearing the adults chuckling as well from the shaded sitting area. Well, minus one gang member since Ginny is traveling to Egypt with her family. "You guys are so dead," Diana said with a mocking glare as she wadded through the water to get to the edge of the pool as if she was getting ready to climb out. Draco was still chuckling as he bent down since he was closer, offering his hand to her. Diana had a mischievous glint in her eyes as she took his offered hand and without a second thought, she made a sharp jerk and blonde tumbled headfirst into the water.

The rest of the gang was reduced to laughter once again, leaning against each other for support as Draco shot up to the surface, sputtering a little as he wiped the water from his eyes. He shot a playful glare at Diana, promising that he was going to get her later as the rest of the gang jumped into the pool in their swimsuits. Diana stripped her soaked clothes off, revealing her crop bikini with navy blue diamond print on it. It revealed a lot of her body but not so much that it was suitable for her age. She didn't notice the slight flush on Draco's cheek as she tossed her clothes onto patio deck, the barrier around the pool designed to stop any water passing through, instantly made them dry.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Thank you three for coming today. I really appreciate the gift." Diana said with a smile as she slowly walked with the Malfoys to see them to the fireplace for them to take the Floo network. They are the last guests to leave as the sun started to set in the horizon. She was still wearing her clothes under her clothes since she hadn't had the chance to change clothes. Lucius chuckled at her works. "You humble us with your words, my Lady, but I must say, my son should be getting all of the credit. He was the one who picked out the gift." Diana immediately reached up to gently grasp the 18K white gold plumeria diamond pendant hanging around her neck.

A bright smile on her lips as she looked over at the blonde boy, her fingers feeling the small diamonds pieces that filled the petals and a single large diamond in the center of the flower. "Really, Draco? You picked this out for me?" Draco barely had the change to nos when a petit body hugged him tightly. His cheek turned suspiciously a little pink for the second time that day as his arms circled around her waist to hug her back, the earlier image of Diana in that two-piece swimsuit flashed through his mind. "You don't have to thank me. You deserve the best, Diana." The blonde found himself saying as Diana pulled away from the hug, that bright smile still on her face.

"Well, I'm going to thank you again. I'll treasure this for a long time." She ended the agreement with a kiss on his cheek, both not noticing Lucius whispering something into Narcissa's ear. The Malfoys finally left the Ivanov Estate after saying their final goodbyes. Lucius had a knowing smirk on his face as they arrived back at the Malfoy Manor. "Son, do you like Diana?" He asked as he took off his robe and passed it to Dobby, noticing the flushed look on his son's face just moments again. The flush on Draco's face still hasn't gone done, especially from the kiss on the cheek. "I-I think so."

August 3rd, Tuesday

A loud boom shook the ground as the sound of rubble fell to the floor amongst the smoke. "Good reaction, Diana," Sirius stated, satisfied as he casually walked through the smoke to see Diana sitting against the wall, panting heavily with dirt and grime covering her face. "You bastard, I could have lost my head if I hadn't moved!" She snapped at him as she struggled to get back onto her feet, which felt like jelly since they had just gotten back from a four mile run around the perimeter of the Malfoy Manor and this crazy man decided to have to dodge spells right after. Sirius grinned as he reached out to rumple her head, causing her to swat at his hand with mild anger. "Go rest up. Oi, Zabini! It's your turn next!"

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

Narcissa sat in her favorite armchair reading a book when her husband came into the room, his snakehead cane clunking softly against the ground. "Love, where are the children? Its time they should start heading home." He asked. Narcissa smiled softly, displaying the striking beauty he had fallen in love with so many years ago. "Look over there." She said, cocking her head towards the window viewing into the garden. Lucius looked out the window to see the gang had gathered under the giant oak tree in the middle of the garden, passed out from exhaustion. Diana had her head resting against Draco's shoulder with Hermione laying across of their laps. Neville was leaning back against the tree trunk with Pansy resting her head against his lap, their hands linked on her stomach. Blaise used Hermione's legs as pillows, their sleeping faces inches from each other.

August 7th, Saturday

 _"Black Still At Large! Aurors working hard to catch the escapee!"_ Diana saw the bold letters on the front page of the Dail Prophet as she and the gang strolled through Diagon Alley, hearing the whispers about the escaped convict and the new broom coming into the market. They were there to buy the books needed for their third year. Valentina and Stepan were their chaperons this time, having to separate from the gang briefly to head to Gringotts to handle some business. They all agreed to meet the adult at _Flourish and Blotts_ after getting new robes from _Madame Malkin's_. With the addition of practice with Sirius, they found that their body was outgrowing their clothes, especially the boys since they had started with kickboxing as well.

The door to the bookstore jangled merrily, signaling their arrival. The ragged looking bookstore keeper lumbered over, his clothes littered with rips and strange teeth marks. "Third years?" He asked as he pulled off a pair of rather thick dragon hide gloves from his hands. "Yes." Diana drawled, watching as the bookstore keeper let out a groan as if he was hoping they weren't third years. "Blimey hell. I just put those ruddy books away." The gang bowed their head to the floor as they suppressed the urge to snort at his obvious misery as he dawned the dragon hide gloves once again while heading towards the back of the bookstore. He disappeared momentarily before walking over to the counter with a large cage filled with hideous looking books which seemed to be growling like animals.

 _This must be the Monster Book of Monsters._ Diana thought. The bookstore keeper started picking out the books with a pair of long tongs, yelling at the books when they started tearing each other apart, shreds of paper raining down as the metal cage rattled on the counter. The bookstore keeper finally got the right amount of books for all of them and magically applied belts around the books to keep them from snapping at their new owners. "Alright, you lot can go get the rest of your books at the back of the store. I'll reserve these for you." He said, looking more ragged by the minute as he gazed loathingly at the rattling cage, deciding that it was better to just leave the cage there on the counter.

The gang split into smaller groups, each one assigned to a book and grabbed enough for all of them to save time. They ended up grabbing _Magical Drafts and Potions, The Standard Book of Spells Grade 3, The Essential Defense Against the Dark Arts, One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, A History of Magic, Intermediate Transfiguration, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,_ and _Unfogging the Future._

August 31st, Tuesday

"Are you sure you want that cat, Mione?" Daphne asked with a raised eyebrow as she stared at the ginger cat. Hermione grinned as she held it close to her chest. "Yup. Father, I would like to have this cat." She asked as she looked over at Mr. Greengraass. "Very well." He said with a smile as he pulled out his coin pouch from his cloak. They immediately headed over to the counter since there was no line there. The lady behind the counter smiled at Hermione as she rang up their purchase. "This cat has been through a lot. Take good care of him for me, sweetheart?" Hermione smiles and nodded as she grabbed the little traveling case while the lady bagged the cat food and other necessities. "Of course."

They headed out once everything has been paid, back into the boisterous cobble streets. "What are you going to name him, dear?" Mrs. Greengrass asked as she placed both of her hands on Hermione's and Daphne's shoulder, keeping them all together. Hermione was silent for a bit before a name popped up. "Crookshanks." Aurora wrinkled her nose while laughing as she clung to her father's arm. "That's a strange name for such a weird cat." Hermione stuck her tongue out at her little sister, causing everyone to laugh. "Don't listen to her, Crookshanks. You're just perfect" She cooed down to her cat.

September 1st, Wednesday

The sky was covered in grey clouds as Diana arrived at King's Cross Station with Valentina, Tom, and Stepan. They briskly walked through the busy train station, dodging muggles who were on the commute to work. They arrived at the Platform 9 and with a quick look around, they smoothly walked through the invisible barrier into Platform 9 3/4. Wizards and witches didn't notice they had arrived as they made sure their kids were on the train or at least have everything they need. Diana started walking through the crowd, looking for her friends. She noticed blond hair and instantly knew it was Draco. She made her way over to see Draco and everyone was waiting for her with their parents lingering around.

Things were different for the past month. Ginny was spending more time with Blaise, Neville was paying more attention to Pansy as well as Theo was to Daphne. A smile appeared on Diana's face as she made her way over to the group with Valentina, Stepan, and Tom trailing behind her. Greetings went around and went into light chatter as the adults chattered about politics. Two whistles sounded from the train and students started swarming the train to get on. With a final goodbye to their parents, the gang filed onto the train just as the first drops of rain started to fall from the sky.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

The sky darkened quicker than expected as the train chugged through the rain, streams of water droplets cascaded along the windows. "Want another round, Draco?" Blaise asked Draco as they assembled the chess pieces back to their respective places. The food trolley had just gone by not that long ago and they all had bought some sweets to share as a group. "Merlin, Draco, you really suck at this," Diana said in a teasing tone as she munched on a licorice snap. The blonde glared halfheartedly at her. "Yeah yeah, I was just warming up, that's all." The group laughed at his words. All the sudden, the train lurched to a complete stop, the chess pieces and the board sliding off the table onto the floor. "What the hell is going on? We haven't arrived at the castle yet."

"Let me go take a look," Diana stated and walked over to the compartment door, walking over the scattered chess pieces. She peeked her head out to see that the other students had their heads peeking out in curiosity. Suddenly, the train made another lurch, causing Diana to lose her balance and fell backward onto Draco's lap with a yelp. "Are you ok?" Draco asked with concern, his hands holding onto her arms protectively as the lights in their compartment started flickering and going out. "Yeah." She said softly. They turned to look out of the rain covered compartment window, thanks to the light from the covered moon, that they could see that the train had stopped at a bend and that the lights from the compartments had gone out one by one.

"Guys, I think I see people coming onboard," Theo said from his position next to the window. "That's impossible. There's no train station near us." Hermione said with a frown. A creepy rattling, gasping sound cut anybody off from saying anything else. They quickly turned their attention to the compartment sliding door. The light casted an eerie glow as they saw a shadowy boney hand appeared from the shadows on the other side of the door. Diana noticed her breath was visible as a sudden chilly cold appeared in the compartment, shivering as the rattling sound continued. She held her breath as she watched the boney hand stopped next to the door handled and with a creepy wave of its fingers, the compartment door slowly slides open.

The door slides completely open to reveal grotesque fingers, grey as if it was dead. Diana felt Draco held her tighter to him when the owner of the boney hand appeared. The creature was completely covered in a tattered black cloak, floating off the ground. No one made a noise as the creature looked around the compartment as if it was searching for something until it was looking straight at Diana. Suddenly the creature lunged at her, its bony fingers grasping her face before she could even make a sound and at the last second, she could see a face appear from the cloak, its mouth a permanent gaping hole. The creature inhaled and her hearing was muffled as she felt the happiness seeping from her body. Her vision was completely going dark and at the last second, before she blacked out, she heard a female scream. _Diana!_

 _*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*_

Diana woke up to the sound of soft conversations going on around her, her eyes looking up at the ceiling. The train was moving. "Mmm...what happened?" She groaned out, the sound of her voice stopped the conversation. Draco and an unknown man appeared in her vision. "Natalya, thank Merlin you're awake," Draco said with a sound of relief. The rest of the gang moved to stand behind Draco to see Diana with a look of relief also as she slowly sat up. She noticed that Draco's peacoat "Here, Natalya. Have some chocolate. You will feel better." The unknown man said as he snapped off a piece of chocolate bar. "Thank you. Who are you?" She asked as she gently took the piece of offered chocolate, noticing his ragged looks and the scars on his face.

"I'm Remus Lupin. I'm the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Now if you'll excuse me, I must see the train operator." Lupin said as he quickly stood and made his way over to the compartment door. He turned around to look at Diana once again. "Eat up. I promise you'll feel better." With a final smile and left the compartment, thinking that she was hesitating eating something from a complete stranger. Diana cautiously took a bite of the chocolate, enjoying the warm feeling in her mouth. "What happened to me?" Diana asked her friends who had sat back down in the chairs by then. "You just fainted when the creature got up close to your face," Pansy said with a shiver, still clinging to Neville's arm.

"I felt like I was never going to be happy," Blaise said with a haunted faraway look on his face, Ginny nodded as she tried to comfort him. Diana took another bite, taking everything in when she remembered the female scream. "Did any of you scream?" She asked only to receive confused looks. "Diana, nobody screamed," Hermione said softly, concern on her face. Who was it then? Diana defintely heard someone scream.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

[A/N: Happy Belated Thanksgiving and Happy Holidays! WOW, 99 favorites and 137 subscribers~! To those who just subscribed to my story or 'favorite' my story, thank you all at the bottom of my heart! I'm glad that so many of you are still following me even though things in the story are progressing slowly. I have taken direct quotes from the movie and books, so credits to JK Rowling. As usual, the foreign languages in this story are translated from Google Translate so, please let me know if something seems off. If any of you have a fanfiction request, hit me up on PM! As always, please, comment, subscribe and favorite my story and stay tuned for the next chapter~! Also a side note, I'm planning on rewriting my other fanfic, Love's Journey. Don't expect a rewritten paragraph right away though, just another project for me to do in the future~]

Chapter 13

September 1st, Wednesday

"Oh dear, its those retched Dementors again? That has been the fifth student today!" Madame Pomfrey said with a huff as she ushered Severus into the infirmary, who was guiding Diana and Blaise in. "I have told Albus to not bring those horrid creatures here, but no, he doesn't want to hear any of it." She said, shaking her head as she helped Severus out the two into their respective beds. "Here have some chocolate." The elderly witch said as she gave each of then a sizeable piece of milk chocolate from Honeydukes. "We don't need it, Madame Pomfrey. Professor Lupin gave us some back on the Hogwarts Express." Blaise pipped in as he graciously took the offered piece anyway.

"Oh really? Finally, we have a someone who is actually competent enough for the job." Madame Pomfrey said with a satisfied nod. "Still, I want you both to eat the chocolate. Once you are done, you can go attend the Welcome Feast." With a final nod of her head, Madame Pomfrey left to her office to fill out paperwork to leave the Slytherins to munch on their chocolate, not before swishing her wand around and their clothes magically changed into their school uniform. **_"_** ** _Pensez-vous qu'ils ont ajouté quelque chose dans ce chocolat? Chaque fois que je prends une bouchée, mon corps est chaud."_** (Do you think they added something into this chocolate? Every time I take a bite, my body feels warm.) Blaise wondered casually as he ate the last of his share of the chocolate. Diana shrugged her shoulders, popping her last piece into her mouth as well. _Probably small amounts of Pepper-up potion._ She thought.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Ivanov. Ivanov!" A loud whisper called to Diana just as the Great Hall quieted down to hear Dumbledore's speech. Diana was comfortably leaned back to rest against Draco's chest as she looked over at Weasley, who looked overly smug about something. "I heard you fainted, Ivanov. I mean, you _actually_ fainted?" Finnigan who was sitting next to Weasley pretended to faint, making a dramatic sighing sound as he did so, causing some laughter from the other Gryffindors. The moment was interrupted as Diana started to laugh softly like something had been said has amused her greatly. "Oh please Weaselbee, mine couldn't _possibly_ be worse than yours. I heard you wet yourself and cried for your mommy like a little baby."

Weasley's face turned beet red as Blaise started making crying noises, his hands moving in a rocking motion under his eyes as he said 'mommy, mommy' in a mocking baby voice. the other Slytherins snickered in delight. Apparently, that information wasn't supposed to come out. The flustered Weasley quickly whipped around in his seat and saw Neville as a person to blame. "You couldn't keep your mouth shut, could you Longbottom. You-" Neville rolled his eyes. "Please, Weasley. I have better things to do than gossip like you." Weasley was about to say something when Dumbledore's voice cut him off. "Welcome, welcome to another year at Hogwarts. Now I would like to say a few words before we become too befuddled by our excellent feast."

"First, I'm pleased to welcome Professor R.J Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Good luck Professor."The Great Hall is filled with loud claps as Professor Lupin stood up from his seat at the head table, a small smile on his face as he bowed a little before sitting back down. "Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher for many years, has decided to retire in order to spend more time with remaining limbs. Fortunately, I am delighted to announce that his place will be taken by none other than our own Rubius Hagrid." The Great Hall was filled with clapping and occasional cheers from the Gryffindor table.

"Finally, on a more describing note. At the request of the Ministry of Magic, Hogwarts will, until further notice, play host to the Dementors of Azkaban." Soft murmurs could be heard all around. "Until such a time Sirius Black is captured, the Dementors will be stationed at every entrance to the grounds. While I have been assured that their presence will not disrupt our day-to-day activities, a word of caution: dementors are vicious creatures. They will not distinguish between the one they hunt and the one who gets in their way. Therefore I must warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. It's not in the nature of a dementor to be forgiving." Silence befell the Great Hall as the student listened intently to the headmaster.

"But you know, happiness can be found even in the darkest of times," Everyone watched as Dumbledore ran his hand over the flickering flame of the one candles that were on the candelabra that was situated next to the podium, watching the flame disappear. "when one only remembers to turn on the light." With another swipe of his hand, the flame reappeared again.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Sirius," Tom said casually as he stepped into the parlor room the animagus was occupying. "We need to talk about that night." Sirius raised an eyebrow at this from his position on the couch. "What brought this up, Tom?" The animagus asked as he watched the Dark Lord poured them both a glass of brandy over some ice. "Now that I have come back, I need to start figuring out how that old bastard got the location to my house," Tom said as he carried the glasses over to the couch, passing one of them to Sirius. "Fair enough," Sirius said, enjoying the cool glass in his hand as he took a sip of his drink before speaking again. "What do you want to know?"

"I know you let Peter be our Secret Keeper. Did he tell anybody else of this?" Tom asked, his eyes hard as he leaned forward and rested his forearms against his thighs. Sirius shook his head. "None that I know of. You'll need to ask Stepan and Valentina. He was with them during the attack." Tom simply nod. He will need to get more information from the couple. _I still can't rule out Peter._ He thought. Another thought popped into his mind, causing him to frown. "When the aurors arrested you, did they state what evidence they had on you?" Sirius snorted coldly at this. "They had no evidence. All they said was that there was a witness that saw me kill of those muggles. Which was absolute rubbish because I was there in the bar during the attack. The barkeep testified against me. Bastard probably got paid off." The animagus grumbled out loud.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Albus, you still haven't explained to me why Lupin must be given the Dark Arts position. You are aware of what he is, correct?" Severus drawled as he moved to stand in front of the headmaster's desk. "I am well aware of what Lupin is, Severus," Albus said with indifference as he gazed at his manicured fingernails before motioning to the folded morning edition of the _Dail Prophet_ from yesterday morning. _"Sirius Black has been cited in Diagon Alley! Aurors urge civilians to lock their doors and not engage with Black!"_ The bold words seemed to scream out from the front page. "You have read yesterday's morning edition, correct?" Dumbledore asked, his blue eyes gazing up at the potions master over the rim of his half-mooned glasses.

Severus nodded but had a confused look on his face. "What does this have anything to do with Lupin?" Dumbledore raised an eyebrow but also have a knowing smile on his aging face. "You and I both know that Lupin and Black were friends during their days in Hogwarts." Severus' eyes widen slightly once he understood what the old man's intentions were. "You plan to lure Black here...What in God's name for? Is this to discredit the Minister of Magic?" Dumbledore chuckled softly, his blue eyes twinkled menacingly with determination. "Once the public hears that I, Albus Dumbledore, has caught the infamous mass murderer faster then Cornelius Fudge, my popularity to take up the position as Minister of Magic will increase."

Severus frowned slightly as if the thought had brought up more thoughts. "I don't think Remus will willingly agree to lure his best friend here." Dumbledore didn't look the slightest bit concerned about this. "This wouldn't be the first time I had to alter his mind. Severus."

September 2nd, Thursday

"Welcome to Divination. My name is Professor Trelawney. You may not have seen me before. I find that descending too often into the hustle and bustle of the main school clouds my Inner Eye." The middle age woman with thick glasses said wispily. Diana rolled her eyes before tapping her thumb against her ring. **_"_** ** _.. -. -. . .-. /. -.-. / - -.- / .- ... ... .-.-.- / .. ..-. / -.- - ..- / ... .- -.. / .- -. / .. -. -. . .-. /. -.-. / - ... . -. / -.- - ..- / .- - ..- .-.. -.. / ... .- ...-. / -. - - .. -.-.. -.. / ... - .- / .-. .- - ... . - .. -.-. / -.- - ..- / .-.. - - -.- / .- .. - ... / - ... - ... /. -. - .-. - - ..- ... / -. .-.. .- ... .. ... .-.-.-"_** (Inner eye my ass. If you had an inner eye, then you would have noticed how pathetic you look with those enormous glasses.)

She heard the gang who were scattered around the classroom, snorted softly which went undetected by Professor Trelawney. "So you may have chosen to study Divination, the most difficult of all magical arts. I must warn you at the outset that if you do not have the sight, there is very little I will be able to teach you. Books can take you only so far in this field..." The professor said while adjusting the shawl around her slim form. "Many witches and wizards, talented though they are in the area of loud bangs and smells and sudden disappearings, are yet unable to penetrate the veiled mysteries of the future." The professor slowly got out of the winged chair she was sitting in and started walking around the front of the classroom.

"It is a Gift granted to few. You, boy," Professor Trelawney suddenly turned her attention to Neville, who was sitting in the back of the classroom. Neville pretended to look nervous. "is your grandmother well?" The gang could tell Neville was struggling not to raise an eyebrow at the woman while he kept the nervous look on his face. "I-I think so." Professor Trelawney gave a sad smile while shaking her head gently. "I wouldn't be so sure if I were you, dear." She then turned her attention back to the class, not noticing the dark look on Neville's face. Diana could see his fist was clenched tightly under the table. **_"_** ** _-.. - -. .-. - / .-.. .. ... - . -. / - - / ... . .-. .-.-.- / ... ... . / .. ... / .- ..- ... - / .- / ..-. .-. .- ..- -.. .-.-.-"_** (Don't listen to her. She is just a fraud.) Pansy said.

 ** _"_** ** _.. / -.- -. - .- .-.-.- / .. / ... .- -.. / .- ..- ... - / - .- .-.. -.- . -.. / .- .. - ... / - -.- / -. .-. .- -. -.. - - - ... . .-. / -... . ..-. - .-. . / -... .-. . .- -.- ..-. .- ... - .-.-.- "_** (I know. I had just talked with my grandmother before breakfast.) "We will be covering the basic methods of Divination this year. The first term will be devoted to reading the tea leaves. Next term we shall progress to palmistry. By the way, my dear," The professor suddenly stopped and looked at one of the Patil twins, catching her off guard. "beware a red-haired man." The Patil twins looked frightened at this and shifted closer to each other. "In the summer term, we shall progress to the crystal ball - if we have finished with fire-omens, that is." Trelawney paused for a moment to cough softly.

"Unfortunately, classes will be disrupted in February by a nasty bout of flu. I myself will lose my voice. And around Easter, one of our numbers will leave us forever." Diana rolled her eyes for what seemed like the hundredth time in this class. "I wonder, dear," Trelawney said to Lavender Brown, who was nearest and shrank back in her chair, "if you could pass me the largest silver teapot?" Brown looked relieved as she stood up and carefully passed the silver teapot to the woman. "Oh, dear? Incidentally, that thing you are dreading – it will happen on Friday the sixteenth of October." Brown looked puzzled at this and was about to ask her to clarify but one of the Patil twins pulled on her hand to have her sit back down.

"Now, I want you all to divide into pairs. Collect a teacup from the shelf, come to me, and I will fill it. Then sit down and drink; drink until only the dregs remain. Swirl these around the cup three times with the left hand, then turn the cup upside-down on its saucer; wait for the last of the tea to drain away, then give your cup to your partner to read. You will interpret the patterns using pages five and six of _Unfogging the Future_. I shall move among you, helping and instructing. Oh, and dear –" Trelawney caught Seamus by the arm as he made to stand up – "after you've broken your first cup, would you be so kind as to select one of the blue patterned ones? I'm rather attached to the pink."

Sure enough, Seamus had no sooner reached the shelf of teacups than there was a tinkle of breaking china. Professor Trelawney swept over to him holding a dustpan and brush and said, "One of the blue ones, then, dear, if you wouldn't mind … thank you …" Diana, Draco, and Hermione came back to their table with their filled teacups and slowly drank their tea until there were only drops of tea left on the bottom of the teacup with the dregs. They proceeded to swirl their cups three times and turned it upside down on the saucer. "Let's read our tea leaves," Draco said with a sarcastic curiosity as he lifted his cup right side up, causing Diana and Hermione to snort as they fished out their textbooks from their book bags.

Twenty minutes were spent in relative silence, the light tinkling of teacups landing against the saucers and soft murmurings. Trelawney slowly walked around to each table, assisting if needed. She finally reached their table, her wide eyes scanning over them. "Have the three of you seen on your Inner Eye?" Hermione cleared her throat as she turned the woman's attention to Diana's cup in her hand. "Professor, I having trouble reading Natalya's tea leaves." She said with mocking curiosity, causing her table mates to snicker silently. Trelawney didn't seem to notice this as she gently took Diana's teacup in her hand, her wide eyes looking down into the dregs. "The falcon...my dear, you have a deadly enemy." She said into a wispy voice.

"The club...an attack. Dear, dear, this is not a happy cup..." Trelawney said in the same voice, her head slightly shaking as she tutted softly. At this moment, everyone has stopped what they were doing to listen to what she was saying. "The skull...danger in your path, my dear..." Everyone was staring, transfixed at Professor Trelawney, who gave the cup a final turn, gasped, and then screamed, causing everyone to jump in their seats. There was a sound of another teacup shattering and no one bothered to mention anything to Seamus. Professor Trelawney sank into a vacant armchair, looking distraught as she placed her hand over her heart. "My dear girl, poor dear girl – no – it is kinder not to say – no – don't ask me…"

Diana couldn't help but rolled her eyes at her dramatics. "What is it, Professor?" Draco asked right away. Everyone had got to their feet and slowly, they crowded around their table, standing close to Professor Trelawney to get a good look at Diana's cup. "My dear," Professor Trelawney's huge eyes opened dramatically, "you have the Grim." Everyone in the class noticed Diana raise an eyebrow at this. Apparently, that wasn't the reaction Trelawney was looking for. "The Grim, my dear, the Grim!" She shouted as if Diana didn't understand what was being said. "The giant, spectral dog that haunts churchyards! My dear girl, it is an omen – the worst omen – of death!" _You have got to be kidding me._

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Where in God's name are we going?" Diana grumbled as she walked with her Slytherin housemates and the Gryffindors down the dirt pathways through a forest, holding onto her growling Monster book. "We are nearly there, kids!" Hagrid's voice could be heard from the front of the class. The sunlight streamed through the clusters of tall oak trees as the class came to a circular opening. "Gather 'round kids! Gather 'round!" The half-giant boomed while waving his pan-sized hands for them to come closer. "Open your books to page five-" Weasley cut him off with a sneer before he could say anything else. "And how do you suppose we do that with our hands getting chewed off?" Weasley's cronies snickered in hilarity.

"Just stroke the spine of course," Hagrid said with a huff as if that information was widely known and started talking about what that page was about. **_"_** ** _... . -.- / .- .- - -.-. ... / - ... .. ..."_** (Hey, watch this.) The gang felt this rings warm up from Neville's message and they turned their attention to him. While everyone's attention was all on Hagrid, the Gryffindor silently unbuckled the belt around his Monster book. The gang had to hold back laughter as Nevile positioned his book close to Weasley's arm while still keeping a strong grip on the book's mouth, the book's many eyes staring hungrily at the offered appendage in front of it.

The class was interrupted with Ron's frantic yelling as he flailed his arms around to dislodge the gnawing book, shreds of his robe and shirt falling to the ground. "S-Sorry Ron!" Neville could be heard over the laughter as the Gryffindor made a show of trying to rip the book off of Weasley's arm. "Get it off!" Weasley yelled frantically. Neville swiftly stroked the spine and snapped it shut once the book went limp, sporting the guilty look towards the redhead as the class continued to laugh at how Weasley looked with one of his robe sleeves and shirt sleeve completely shredded up to his elbow. Weasley was bright red as he glared daggers at Neville, silent promises of retribution later.

Hagrid cleared his throat, bringing everyone's attention back to him. "Anyhow, there is a reason why I brought y'all out here. I want you to meet my friend, Buckbeak." The half-giant said with a smile before he turned around and whistled sharply with his fingers. The entire class grew quiet in anticipation, heads turning side to side to see who his friend is when a creature with an eagle head, bird wings, grey colored horse body, talons for the first pair of hooves emerged from the trees. The girls in class gasped in awe at the sight of the creatures once it walked into the spot of sunlight peeking from the trees. "Beautiful creature ain't he? Can any of you tell me what this creature is?" Hagrid asked while his giant hands reached out to stroke the creature's body.

Numerous hands went up but none of them could beat Hermione. "Yes, Miss. Greengrass?" Hagrid asked though Diana could tell he wasn't happy that he had to pick a Slytherin first. "Its a hippogriff," Hermione stated, her head held high as the Gryffindors glared daggers at her for getting the answer before them. Hagrid also didn't look pleased when he said the right answer. "Good, Miss Granger. Five points to Slytherin." He said with much difficulty. The next twenty minutes were spent talking about hippogriffs and Hermione earned the Slytherins fifteen more points by the time lecture was over. "Alright, who wants to get the first ride on Buckbeak?" The half-giant asked with renewed excitements with a clap of his giant hands.

Everybody immediately turned pale at this time and took a giant step back. "Aaww, don't be shy. Hippogriffs are highly misunderstood creatures." Hagrid tried to persuade the kids but, seriously, one look at those bird-like talons doesn't convince any of them. "Ivanov." Hagrid rambled off her name seemingly at random once he realized no one wanted to step up. Diana wanted to protect because it would make her seem weak, so they silently stepped up to the Care of Magical Creatures professor. The hippogriff stirred nervously, its golden eyes stared intently at her before making a slight lunge at her with its sharp beak, causing those in her class to gasp in fright. Diana would have been food if the half-giant hadn't pulled back just a little bit.

"Buckbeak!" Hagrid chasted it before looking at her. "Hippogriffs are naturally proud creatures. Try bowing to him to show respect." Diana wanted to glare at him but decided to humor him. She looked straight into the creature's golden eyes as she slowly bowed. "That's it. Slowly now." Hagrid said in an encouraging voice. Buckbeak blinked its eyes curiously, flapping its wings for a bit before returning the gesture and bowed its head. Diana released the breath she was holding in as she stood upright, hearing the sound of the class clapping behind her. "Well done!" Hagrid said, sounding pleased that his first lesson was going so well. "Now you can come pet h-"

"Please, I can do better than you, Ivanov." Weasley sneered as he stepped from the class, proceeding to storm over. "Weasley..." Hagrid's face immediately turned pale at this. "You're not so threatening, aren't you, you stupid chick-" Buckbeak immediately reared back on its hind legs, its golden eyes shooting warning glares at the redhead with a shrill cry, making the redhead's steps falter in fright. The class gasped and let out screams just as Diana realized Buckbeak had turned its attention to her since she was the closest target, its talons catching the sunlight to make menacing glints as it cut through the air towards her.

Diana felt the wind rush out of her when she was suddenly shoved out of the way from the side. She landed on the ground with a heavy 'oomph' and she quickly rolled over just in time to see those talons slashed into Draco across his chest. "Draco!" She cried out as the blonde fell to the floor on his back, his hands already clasping over his wounds, groaning in pain as his blood quickly seeped through his fingers and his crisp white dress shirt from the three deep gashes. "Draco!" Rest of the gang shouted and rushed over, minus Neville, to make sure that Draco was fine. "Away with yah, you crazy bird!" Hagrid shouted gruffly as he threw a dead vole somewhere to the side, immediately distracting the creature after he was able to calm it down.

The half-giant quickly lumbered over, the worry written all over his face. "Make way." He said as the class split ways to let him through. Draco was still groaning as he winced at the throbbing feeling as Hagrid got a good look at him. "I'll take him to the hospital wing. The class is dismissed." He said as he easily lifts Draco into his arms.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

 ** _"_** ** _Qu'est-ce que le vieil imbécile pense au monde, de laisser ce fou avoir une créature aussi dangereuse sur le terrain de l'école?" (F)_** (What in the world is that old fool thinking, letting that oaf have such a dangerous creature on school grounds?) Narcissa said with a brisk voice, her face lined with worry as she shook her head a little as she gently combed her fingers through Draco's hair as he slept. She had arrived with Lucius an hour ago after they got an owl from the school about the accident and they have taken up to sit next to the hospital bed. **_"_** ** _Rassurez-vous, mon amour. Je ferai en sorte que le vieil imbécile soit tenu pour responsable." (F)_** (Rest assured, my Love. I'll make sure the old fool is held accountable.) Lucius said in a soft voice, his eyes showing the strong contempt he was truly feeling inside.

Diana stepped into the hospital wing alone and made her way over to the bed. **_"Moi izvineniya Nartsissa i Lyutsius. YA nikogda ne khotel, chtoby Drako postradal." (R)_** (My apologies Narcissa and Lucius. I never meant for Draco to get hurt.) She said somberly. The two adults were taken back by this as they both got up from their chair. They looked around to see where Madame Pomfrey was, who was currently in her office filling out orders before continuing. "You don't need to apologize to us, my Lady," Lucius said with a polite bow of his head. "We don't blame you for what has happened to our son. Dumbledore and that Weasley child should take full responsibility."

Narcissa nodded her head in agreement, her soft blue eyes falling back to her sleeping son. Diana simply nodded, feeling happy to know that these two don't blame her. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, she motioned to Draco. "How is he?" Narcissa smiled softly as she fussed with the blanket, tugging it slightly to make a small bump go away. "He will be fine. Madame Pomfrey has given him some salves for the wounds and says that there won't be any scarring." Diana nodded, feeling relief wash over her. "Good. Lucius?" She asked, turning her attention to the older male. "Yes, my Lady?" He asked, his body straightening up to its full height.

"Do you know if the Board of Govenors will be sacking the Professor of Care of Magical Creatures?" The older man raised an eyebrow at this. "I wouldn't know, my Lady. I presume they will be sending owls to confirm the meeting as we speak. Is there something you would like me to do regarding this matter?" Diana's eyebrows furrowed a little and nods. "Yes, make sure Rubius Hagrid doesn't get sacked." She said, causing the two adults to look curiously at each other.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

Tom hissed loudly as he slammed the side of his fist down on his desk, his red eyes blazing with rage. "That fucking old bastard! I knew something was going on that night!" Severus sighed as he looked at Tom through the little mirror he was given for Christmas, using as a two-way communication system."This explains everything that Greyback has said. Who knew Dumbledore would go this far to separate two people who are mated for life." Tom shook his a little, sighing heavily as he heard a knock at the door. "Come in." He ordered. The door immediately opened and Greyback stepped in, who instantly got suspicious when two sets of eyes stared at him. "What...?" Tom and Severus looked at each other briefly before turning back to look at him. "Don't mind us. What did you want?"

September 3rd, Friday

Draco winced a little as he slowly sat down next to Diana at the Slytherin table in the Great Hall at breakfast. "How are you feeling? Shouldn't you be staying longer in the hospital wing?" She asked as the rest of the gang sat down around them. The blonde scowled at the mention of the hospital wing. "I'm not staying one more night at the dreadful room. I have about had it with that infuriating woman." He said, shooting a glare at the head table just as Madame Pomfrey sat down next to Professor Flitwick. The gang snickered a little as breakfast was served.

September 9th, Thursday

The cherry wood wardrobe with mirror-clad doors rattled as if something alive was trapped inside, causing the class to take another nervous step back. "Intriguing, isn't it?" Lupin said as he casually strolled in the back of the classroom, the wardrobe rattled once more. "Anyone like to venture a guess as to what is inside?" Lupin asked as he scanned over the class. "That's a boggart, that is," Dean said. "Very good, Mr. Thomas," Lupin said with a soft smile on his face as he slowly made his way to the front of the classroom. "Now, can anybody tell me what a boggart _looks_ like?" Hermione's hand immediately shot up in the air. Lupin silently motioned for her to answer.

"No one knows. Boggarts are shapeshifters. They take the shape of whatever a particular person fears the most. That's what makes it so-" Lupin nodded his head as he cut her off. "So terrifying, yes." He then moved to stand in front of the rattling wardrobe. "Luckily, a very simple charm exist to repel a boggart. Let's practice it now. Oh, without wands, please." He simply stated, watching students stuff their wands back into their robe pockets. "After me. _Riddikulus!_ " He pronounced slowly. " _Riddikulus!_ " The recited back. "Very good. A little louder. Be very clear. _Riddikulus!_ " The class repeated once again. "Very good. Well, so much for the easy part. You see, the incantation alone is not enough." The wardrobe rattled more violently this time.

"What really finishes a boggart, is _laughter_. You need to force it to assume a shape you find truly amusing. Let me explain." The man said and turned his attention to Weasley with a kind smile on his scarred face. "Ah, Ronald. Will you join me up here, please?" The redhead looked nervous as he strolled up to the front of the classroom to face Lupin. The man took a tiny pause to look at the redhead closely before speaking. "Ronald, what frightens you most of all?" Diana saw Weasel's face turn bright red as he mumbles something in a soft voice. "What was that?" Lupin asked. "Spiders," Weasley said, raising his voice just a little and the class started laughing, Lupin's laughter could be heard above the class.

"Yes, frightens all," Lupin said with an amused look on his face. "And I believe you live with your family. Your mother is Molly, correct?" He asked and Weasley's face turned a little pale as he quickly glanced at the rattling wardrobe. "I don't want the boggart to turn into her either." The class laughed again as Lupin shook his head. "No, it won't," Lupin said while shaking his head. "I want you to picture her clothes. _Only_ her clothes, very clearly in your mind." The man quickly strolled over to him before the idiot could even object. "Now when I open up that wardrobe, here is what I want you to do." Lupin leaned in to whisper something to the redhead before pulling back. "Think you can do that?"

Weasley looked like he could faint as he gulped loudly before nodding." Good." Lupin turned his attention to the rattling wardrobe while pulling his wand out from inside his robes, Weasel struggling to do the same. "Wand at the ready. 1...2...3." With a tiny flick of the professor's wand, the lock to the wardrobe door, opened with an audible click and the door slowly opened with a creak. Soft mumbling could be heard as the class waited in anticipation, watching as large spindly legs seemed to appear from the dark depths of the wardrobe, Ron's turned ghostly white and pathetic whimpers escaped his lips as a giant black widow slowly walked towards him, not noticing that Lupin had moved to stand behind him.

"Think Ronald, think," Lupin said in a soft voice as the black widow made menacing snaps with its pincers, its red eyes staring dead straight at him. With a burst of courage, the redhead said in a small squeaky voice with his wand pointed at the incoming beast. " _Riddikulus!"_ Suddenly, the black window fell on its belly, having been dressed in tattered looking clothes that Diana almost recognized that last time she saw Mrs. Weasley and its spindly feet adorned with brown loafers, the class erupted in loud laughter. "Wonderful, Ronald, wonderful! Incredible! To the back, Ronald. Everyone, form a line!"

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

 ** _"_ _Moy gospodin" (R)_** (My Lord.) A woman said as she bowed to Tom once he arrived at Koldovstoretz. **_"Spasibo, Misha" (R)_** (Thank you, Misha.) Tom said with a small smile as she stood up straight with a slight smile. **_"Kak_ _rabotayet moy_ _syn? Planiruyetsya li yego_ _obucheniye_ _?" (R)_** (How is my son doing? Is his training going as planned?) The woman had a proud smile on her face as she motioned to Tom to walk with her, their footsteps echoing a little in the empty corridor. It was night time and most of the students were in their dorms. _**"Da. Vash syn razvivayet svoi sily namnogo bystreye, chem my ozhidali. Bol'shinstvo studentov, kotoryye prokhodyat odno i to zhe obucheniye, kak vash syn, poluchayut po men'shey mere paru mesyatsev, chtoby poluchit' takoye zhe kolichestvo energii." (R)**_ (Yes. Your son is developing his powers much quicker then we anticipated. Most students who go through the same training as your son takes at least a couple more months to gain the same amount of power.)

Tom smirked as he strolled alongside Misha. Of course, his son would be great, he had his blood coursing through his veins. **_"Gde on seychas?" (R)_** (Where is he now?) They turned around a corner and a sound of distant rumbling could be heard. **_"I chto eto za shum?" (R)_** (And what is that noise?) Tom asked as he noticed they were walking towards the direction of the sounds. **_"Tvoy syn treniruyetsya pryamo seychas s odnim sosedom po domu. To, chto vy slyshite, - eto trenirovka." (R)_** (Your son is training right now with a fellow housemate. What you're hearing is that training.) Tom couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at this. **_"My zdes'." (R)_** (Here we are.) Misha mentioned as they came to stop in front of a pair of iron doors with iron chains adorning it, the noise from before made the floor tremble.

 ** _"S tem, kak bystro vash syn razvivayet svoi sposobnosti, on budet gotov k Rozhdestvu." (R)_** (With how fast your son is developing his powers, he will be ready by Christmas.) A deafening muffled roar from behind the iron doors made it rattle in its hinges like a wild beast was trapped inside, the chains swinging a little. **_"Khochesh' posmotret', moy Gospod'?" (R)_** (Would you like to watch, my Lord?) Misha's question brought Tom out from his curiosity as he looked over at her. He silently looked back at the door before shaking his head, a soft smile on his lips. **_"Net. My vernemsya v vash_ _ofis, chtoby_ _prodolzhit_ _ **'** nash __razgovor_ _? YA_ _schitayu_ _, chto u vas yest'_ _yeshche_ _chto_ _skazat_ _ **'**." (R) _**(No. Shall we go back to your office to continue our conversation? I believe you have more things to tell me.)

September 13th, Monday

Pansy subconsciously fingered the white gold rhythm heart key necklace encased with diamonds dangling from around her neck. Neville had given this to her for her birthday the day before school started and she treasured this close to heart. She let her hand drop back down to her side as she kept walking down the corridor, the sunlight reflecting off the tiny diamonds to dance onto the stone walls. "Well, well, well. Not smart for you to wandering alone in the corridor by yourself, Parkinson." Weasley said behind her. Parkinson sighed, rolling her eyes before turning around to face the redhead and his two goons. Pansy raised an eyebrow as she folded her arms across her chest.

"What do you want, Weasel? As you can see, I was busy before you came along with your horrendous looking face." Weasley's face immediately turned tomato red as he whipped out his wand from his robes, his blotchy face full of rage. "You're pretty cocky for someone who has a wand pointing at her." He hissed angrily as he made steps towards her, trying to make himself look menacing. Pansy was about to say something when another voice spoke up from behind her. "Pans, are these guys bothering you?" Pansy looked over her shoulder to see Neville walking towards her, his eyes blazing with hidden anger. She had to hide her shock from appearing on her face before answering. "No, I was just about to leave."

Weasley and his goons stared stupidly at Neville like they couldn't believe what was happening before Weasley's face turned to rage. "I should have known you would betray your _house_ , Longbottom! " The redhead sneered with venom as the Gryffindor stopped in front of him. Neville rolled his eyes and sighed like he had heard the same damn thing every single time before cocking his arm back and let his fist fly at his face. Weasley crumpled to the floor, passed out, as his croons frantically ran to his side and tried to get him to wake up. Rather than say anything, Neville grabbed Pansy's hand and pulled her along with him down the corridor like she had intended to do.

Once they were pretty far away, they slowed down to a casual walk. "You shouldn't have done that, Neville," Pansy said with a frown as she looked over at the brown haired male. "Now everyone will know that you are on our side, especially Dumbledore." They had no stopped in the middle of the corridor, not a single student in sight. Pansy was even more confused when she noticed the smirk on Neville's face. "Relax Pans. I don't care if Dumbledore knows who I have associated with. Besides, I planning on doing a resort." Neville said with a smug look on his face as he leaned against the wall behind him. Pansy's eyes widened a little. "A resorting? Are you sure this will work?" Neville then smirked evilly. "Dumbledore doesn't have a choice. It's part of school rules if the student request for a resort."

September 14th, Tuesday

"Come in," Dumbledore said and Neville stepped into the office. "Professor, you wanted to speak to me?" He asked, not even bothering to pretend to make his voice quivering with nervousness. Dumbledore smiled his usual grandfatherly smile and motioned for him to close to the desk. "Come sit, my dear boy." Neville nods and made his way over to sit on the vacant seat in front of the desk. "Neville, I have gotten word that you want to have a resort. Is this true?" That same annoying smile on that aging face as he talked, leaning back in his chair while steepling his fingers over his chest. Neville forced a guilty look on his face. "I'm sorry Professor, but its true. I can't be in Gryffindor anymore."

Gone was the grandfatherly smile on Dumbledore's face, replaced with a deep frown. "Do not play coy with me, Mr. Longbottom. I know that you want to be moved to Slytherin." Neville's face turned cold as he folded his arms against his chest, his brown eyes boring into the old man. Dumbledore stared back at Nevile from across the desk. "My apologies, my boy, I can not do as you requested. Gryffindor is your house and will remain so until your graduate from Hogwarts." He said with a hard tone that usually symbolized that the conversation was final. Neville glared at Dumbledore before standing up and moved to stand right in front of it. He leaned forward so he was eye level with the old man, his brown eyes swirling with contempt.

"You will do as I request, Dumbledore." He said in a slow soft voice. "Because I know someone who knows the school handbook from the back of his hand and you and I both know that the request is perfectly within the realms of something a headmaster should allow."

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Before we are too engrossed in our lovely dinner, there is something important that needs to be done." Dumbledore's voice carried through the silent Great Hall. Curious faces looked at each other with silent shoulder shrugs. "From the moment you all have arrived at Hogwarts, you all have been sorted into houses that suit you best. Unfortunately, one of us has felt that their house is unsuitable for them and is requesting for a resort." The room was filled with low mumbles as they frantically talked to each other. Who could it be? This has never happened before. Many have been told that the house they have been sorted at will remain so for the rest of their years in Hogwarts. Well, it _did_ explain why McGonagall had a stool with the Sorting Hat on top of it next to her.

Dumbledore silently raised his arms up, instantly causing the conversations to stop. "Can Neville Longbottom please come forward." Students' eyes widened in surprise with their mouth hanging open as Neville got up from the Gryffindor table and slowly made his way to the front of the Great Hall. What in Merlin's name is going on? Neville didn't look disturbed when he heard outraged shouts coming from his formal housemates."Traitor!" One of them shouted as he finally stepped up to the stool. He immediately sat down on the stool and let the Sorting Hat plop on his head. The room waited with bated breath as they waited for the Sorting Hat to shout what new house Neville will get into. "SLYTHERIN!"

Dumbledore's face didn' show any emotions but Diana could see the anger in his blue eyes. The Great Hall was deadly silent before it erupted with loud claps from the Slytherin house as Neville got off the stool. Neville flashed a smile once McGonagall took off the Sorting Hat and the red color on his robes was replaced with green. The Gryffindor emblem on his chest was now the Slytherin crest. Neville quickly strolled over to his new table, ignoring the murderous looks from his former house. "Congrats, mate," Draco said with a grin while clapping him on the shoulder. "Welcome to your new home." Diana said with a smirk as everyone sat down to let dinner begin.

September 15th, Wednesday

"Ah, Dumbledore. It's so good to see you again." Augusta said calmly as she slowly lumbered into the parlor room with a house elf assisting her. "Its been too long, Augusta," Dumbledore said with a grandfatherly smile as he stood up per etiquette called for. Once Augusta had seated in an armchair across from Dumbledore with a small table in between them, the old man sat down as well. "What brings you here, Albus? I'm sure you must be busy now the school year has started back up again." Augusta asked while the house elf cracked away to fetch some tea for its mistress and her guest. Dumbledore chuckled softly. "Oh, well I must say the work is just as rewarding. However, I have something more troubling on my mind. That's why I came here."

"Oh?" Augusta said with a raised eyebrow as the house elf popped into the parlor room with tea. With a snap of its fingers, the teacup appeared on the small table and disappeared after Augusta mumbled a 'thank you'. "Now tell me that is on your mind, Albus. Is my grandson alright? I hope he isn't causing any trouble?" Dumbledore had long since given up asking the woman how she knew he had come about her grandson. "Neville is alright, but I'm afraid that your grandson's behavior is most disturbing." Augusta didn't even say anything as she reached out to take ahold of her teacup and brought it up to her lips, the steam from the hot liquid swirling around her face.

Taking this as a sign to continue, he did just that. "I'm not sure if you are aware of who your grandson is familiarizing himself with but they are a bad influence on him. He has been associating himself with Slytherins and many of them are children of Death Eaters. Not only that, your grandson has even requested a resort and is now a Slytherin-" Augusta suddenly placed her teacup a little too hard against the matching saucer, causing Dumbledore to immediately stop talking. "As much as I appreciate you coming here, Albus, however, I don't particularly appreciate you trying to control what my grandson does during school. If you are thinking I am going to reprimand my grandson, you better think again."

Dumbledore was taken aback at this for a second before steeling himself and frowned. "Augusta-" The woman shot him a glare before cutting him off once again. "My grandson is the head of the Longbottom family. I will support him on whatever he chooses wholeheartedly, now if you be so kind. Leave. Now." Dumbledore pierced his lips in disapproval as he stood up, looming over her. "Very well then. Good day, Augusta." He said in a curt voice before leaving the Longbottom home via Floo network.

September 19th, Sunday

"Where are you taking me?" Hermione asked with a laugh as she guided down the corridor blindly with Pansy's hands covering her eyes. "You're going to see very soon," Daphne said in a singsong voice in front of her, holding one of her hands while Diana held the other. The girls were reduced to laughter as Hermione stumbled a little in her steps, her movements sluggish like she was drunk. They finally arrived at an abandoned classroom that they had decided to use for this occasion. Diana made sure Hermione's eyes were still covered before opening the door to see that the decorations were already in place and that the birthday cake the Greengrass house elves made was already there with the 13 candles already lit. The boys silently walked around to get into position.

Diana and Daphne guided her into her room and let go of her hands. "Don't open your eyes yet." Pansy chimed out as she removed her hands from the brunette's eyes. Hermione pouted but did as she was told. "Hurry up, guys. You know I don't like surprises." The gang laughed softly and they each grabbed a confetti popper and got ready to pull the string. "Alright, you can open your eyes!" Diana said with excitement and the second Hermione opened her eyes, everyone yanked the string attached to their confetti popper at the same time, shooting gold strings into the air. Hermione let out a surprised shout when she was suddenly bombarded with loud bangs.

Everyone cheered as Hermione started laughing with a bright grin on her face. Hugs were spread around before Hermione went over to the cake and made a quick wish before blowing out the candles. "Thank you, everyone. You guys shouldn't have." Hermione said, her voice wavering a little despite the genuine smile. Pansy snorts as she lounged her arm around the brunette's shoulder. "Oh, just wait until you open your presents." The party moved to just that. Hermione received many things that would help her with her studies but the most important gift was from Christopher. He gave her a pair of diamond-encrusted barrettes with floral designs. The gang didn't question her when they saw her cheeks get tinted with pink as she read the note included with the present.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

The door to the room swung shut as the gang left the room close to dinner time. Diana made a final look over her shoulder at the door as the rest of the gang discussed something unimportant. This was a good location. No one would think twice of looking into this room at any time let alone during suspicious times. She made her suggestions to the gang in French and they all agreed. **_"_** ** _Nous devrons mettre en place de fortes barrières de protection autour de la porte, en particulier lors de nos petites réunions." (F)_** (We'll need to put up strong protection barriers around the door especially during our little meetings.) Diana smirked and nods. **_"_** ** _C'est décidé alors. Ce sera maintenant notre nouveau lieu de rencontre." (F)_ **(It's decided then. This will now be our new meeting place. )

October 7th, Thursday

Diana stepped into their meeting place, having just taken a shower after the first day of Quidditch practice. The gang was already there, sitting comfortably on the couch in front of the lit fireplace that the house elves gladly added to the room after cleaning everything out. As if on que, the fireplace burst in green flames and two figures stepped out from within the flames. None were worried about Dumbledore finding out about what is going on since Severus has erected the strongest protective and notice-me-not charms around the room and door. "My lord." Everyone, besides Diana, got down on one knee and bowed with respect as Diana ran over to hug her father tightly.

"All of you, rise." The Dark Lord said as he kissed his daughter on the top of her head. Diana pulled away from her father and joined with the rest of her friends in greeting Sirius. "Where are we?" The animagus said curiously, unable to recognize what classroom they were currently in. "We're using an unused classroom. Don't worry, we have taken precautions against Dumbledore." Diana mentioned and the two adults nodded in acceptance. "Now, sit down all of you. The quicker we get through this meeting, the quicker you can get back to your dorms." The gang nodded and moved to sit back down on the couch as the two grown men conjured up two armchairs and sat down on it.

"Sirius and I have decided on a plan to get Dumbledore's head spinning a little. We have decided to execute the plan on Halloween night." The gang raised an eyebrow. "Why on Halloween night? Well, besides the fact that it the night Lily died." Blaise asked curiously. "The reason is just that," Tom said offhandedly before proceeding to explain their plan. "Sirius is planning on sneaking into the school on Halloween night just after the feast. He is going to attempt to sneak into the Gryffindor common room even though there is a really high possibility that the Fat Lady won't let him in without a password.

October 31st, Sunday

"Girls, get up quickly." The Slytherin prefect girl said quickly as she peeked her head into the dorm before disappearing, leaving the door to their dorm open. The girls had just got into bed so they weren't too far into unconsciousness. "He actually did it," Daphne whispered with a Diana as the girls filed out into the common room to join the rest of the Slytherin house and stood next to Draco, Blaise, Theo, Goyle, and Crabbe. "Is everyone here?" The prefect boy asked and when he didn't get a negative answer, he and the prefect girl lead the house down to the Great Hall. Diana heard other students gossiped with each other as they slowly leaked into the Great Hall, spreading the news that Sirius Black had snuck into the school and attacked the Fat Lady.

Diana happened to look off to a darkened corridor and catches a glimpse of a black dog emerging from the shadows, making eyes contact with its yellow eyes before it disappeared back in the shadows. She smirked to herself. Suddenly the sea of students parted ways to let a couple of house elves from the kitchen struggling to carry two enormous paintings. The gang couldn't see what the painting was since they were facing the back of the painting but they could hear a boisterous female voice stricken with tears. Students could see that one of the paintings had three long slashes across it. Once the painting had completely left, the students continued filing into the Great Hall. "Students, grab a sleeping bag off to your right! Lights out in thirty minutes!" The head boy shouted from the side.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Albus, the second floor has been cleared. I fear Sirius Black has eluded our grasps." Severus drawled softly as he strolled to stand next to Dumbledore. It has been an hour since light has been extinguished and most of the students have fallen asleep, well, except for Diana and her gang. The ceiling of the Great Hall was now covered with stars and clouds for a dreamy look rather than the usual design. "Very well," Dumbledore said as he clasped his hands behind his back while strolling slowly up and down the rows of sleeping students. "Albus, why do you think Black decides to break into Hogwarts?" Severus asked in a low voice again while walking alongside Dumbledore.

"Not now, Severus," Dumbledore said softly as he knelt down to move an arm of sleeping student back on their chest. "But Severus-" Severus proceeded to say with annoyance. "All will be explained, Severus," Dumbledore said in a hard voice that left no room for argument. Severus had a sour look on his face as he finally conceded as a prefect boy jogged over to the headmaster to mention that the search of the castle has been finished with no sight of Sirius. "Then what shall we do with the students?" Dumbledore looked at the sleeping students and hummed softly. "For in dreams, we enter a world that is entirely our own. Let them swim in the deepest ocean or glide over the highest cloud."


	14. Chapter Fourteen

[A/N: Merry Belated Christmas and Happy New Year! WOW, 117 favorites and 156 subscribers~! To those who just subscribed to my story or 'favorite' my story, thank you all at the bottom of my heart! I'm glad that so many of you are still following me even though things in the story are progressing slowly. I have taken direct quotes from the movie and books, so credits to JK Rowling. As usual, the foreign languages in this story are translated from Google Translate so, please let me know if something seems off. If any of you have a fanfiction request, hit me up on PM! As always, please, comment, subscribe and favorite my story and stay tuned for the next chapter~!]

[P.S: Just a quick note, Lately I have been doing my extern, so my time of writing has been limited to only two days. My updates will be slower then usual.]

Chapter 14

November 5th, Friday

"Where is Professor Lupin?" A Gryffindor asked and his question was quickly answered when the door of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom violently swung shut as Severus strolled in. As he walked down the middle of the classroom, he magically made the wooden French windows outside slam shut. With another flourish of his wand, the white projector screen slides down from the ceiling. Severus had a deadpanned look on his face when he made a dramatic turn to face the class. "Turn to page three hundred and ninety-four." He drawled out. The Slytherins immediately did as they were told while the Gryffindors lagged a little behind. "Excuse me, Professor, where is Professor Lupin?" Lavender Brown asked in a snotty voice.

"It's not really your concern, is it, Ms. Brown?" Severus said with a sneer before proceeding to slowly walk down the middle of the classroom once again. "Surmise it to say, your professor finds himself incapable of teaching at the present time." Weasley suddenly stood up from his chair, causing it to drag against the stone floor a little. "You take that back, you snarky bastard! Lupin is a better professor then you ever will be!" The redhead said with a tomato-red face while pointing a rude finger at him. Apparently, the idiot wasn't listened close enough and took everything the wrong way as always. Severus raised an eyebrow as he turned to face him.

"Mr. Weasley, I suggest you refrain yourself from excessant outbursts. I fear your mother will be getting more complaint letters from the school about you then your twin brothers." Weasley's face turned pale at the mention of his mother and quickly sat back down. "Now turn to page three hundred and ninety-four." Severus then said in a warning voice as he walked to stand next to an old-fashioned projector and activated it with a tap of his wand. The Gryffindors begrudgingly did as they were told and turned their books to page three hundred and ninety-four. "Werewolves?" A Gryffindor boy with a pock-marked face squeaked out. "But sir," One of the Patil twins turned to face the Potions master.

"We just began learning about redcaps and hinkypunks. We aren't meant to learn about nocturnal beasts for weeks." She quickly clamped her mouth shut when she saw the infamous glare the professor always gave to students who annoy him. "Ms. Patil. Do not question my teachings again or else you will find yourself at Mr. Filtch's office faster then you can say 'sorry'." When no one dared to say anything else, Severus tapped the projector again to start the slides. "Now, which one of you can tell me the difference between an animagus and a werewolf?" The potion master didn't have to turn around to know that Hermione had her hand up first followed by the rest of the gang as he slowly walked back up to the front of the classroom.

"How disappointing, Gryffindors." Severus sneered before motioning to Hermione to speak. "An animagus is a wizard who elects to turn to an animal. A werewolf has no choice. With each full moon, when he transforms, he no longer remembers who he is. He could kill his best friend if he crosses his path. Furthermore, the werewolf only responds to a call from its own kind." Her words seemed endless until she finally stopped. Severus' face was emotionless as always but Diana could tell he was pleased with the brunette's answer. "Thank you, Miss. Greengrass. Ten points to Slytherin." The Gryffindors in the classroom grumbled in annoyance. Looks like their hopes of beating the Slytherins for House Cup is slowly diminishing.

November 6th, Saturday

"The weather isn't ideal but, there isn't much choice," Flint said as he watched his players perform a warming charm over themselves before storing their wands in their lockers. "The wind is also very strong so keep an eye out in your surroundings." Just as he finished talking, the team got the cue to head out to the field. They all filed out to the undercover area provided by the spectators' stand. just as the Hufflepuff team has been announced. **"Now, here comes the Slytherins!"** The commentator's voice boomed over the howling of the wind and the excited chants from both houses. **"Flint, Zabini, Crabbe, Goyle, Malfoy, Theo, and Ivanov!"**

Diana had to squint as cold raindrops splattered against her face as she zoomed through the air with her team. **_"_** ** _Merlin, comment vais-je voir le vif d'or par ce temps?" (F)_** (Merlin, how on Earth am I going to see the Snitch in this weather?) Diana's voiced her annoyance to Draco once they came to a stop in the middle of the Quidditch field where Madame Hooch waited with her silver whistle in hand. "Players, mount your broom!"

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

The wind howled loudly in Diana's ears as she flew around looking for the golden snitch through the rain droplets. The rain seemed to be getting worse as the game continued, her body freezing from her soaked Quiddditch uniform as her hair. She was half listening to the commentator as he announced someone scored another point for Slytherin, stopping mid-air to catch her bearings. "Ivanov, any sight on the snitch yet?"A tired looking Flint came to a stop next to her. Diana shook her head and heard Flint curse a little in frustration. "Bloody hell. This weather is torture." Diana was about to speak when something small zooming around caught her attention. She immediately shot after it just as the commentator shouted in excitement, the spectators roared with cheers as the Hufflepuff seeker chased after her.

Diana felt so stiff as she willed her broom to go faster, not comprehending that fact that she was climbing higher in the cloudy sky. _Come on, come on!_ She said as she reached out with one hand once she was within grabbing distance. She hissed with annoyance as she had to use that arm to shield her face when the raindrops seemingly turned to sharp ice. Suddenly there was a flash of lightning and a loud crack. Diana looked over her shoulder to see the Hufflepuff seeker tumbling off his broom towards the ground below. Diana cursed as she turned her attention back to the snitch and charged after it. All the sudden, the temperature felt like it dropped several degrees and Diana looked down to see ice quickly forming on her broom handle.

A shiver went through her spine when she heard that familiar raspy, rattling sound behind her. Diana quickly looked over her shoulder to see a horde of dementors floating towards her. _Shit!_ She screamed in the inside as she quickly got into action. She shot away from the area, hearing the dementors let out a rattling shriek. She didn't have to look to know that they were following her. Flashes of lightning temporarily blinded Diana as she flew through the air, her heart pounding erratically in her chest. Her eyes widened in shock when more dementors burst from the thunder clouds in front of her/ She cursed as she quickly swiveled out of the way when a dementor suddenly shot up from under her.

She needs to get out of there quick. She reflexively spun in the air, dodging the dementors who seemed to be anticipating her movements. Diana almost let out a scream when a dementor suddenly swooped down at her. Before she could swerve out of the way again, its boney grey hand suddenly lashed out to grab her by the neck, cutting off her air supply. Diana immediately grasped at its wrist, struggling to gasp for air as she could do nothing but watch as the dementor moved its head closer to her, the chilling rattling getting louder. The sound of a woman screaming filler her ears again as she slowly blacked out. "Diana!"

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Where is she?" Hermione asked over the sound of excited chatter as she looked up at the weeping clouds with squinting eyes. The gang searched the clouds in anticipation, expecting their seeker to come shooting out of the clouds with the golden snitch in hand. Suddenly, something small dropped from the stormy clouds. "What is that?" Pansy asked with a frown, catching those around her to follow her gaze. Screams started filling the air when the realization hit them. Draco, Blaise, and Theo forgot about the game the moment they saw Diana falling and shot after her. Draco forced his broom to the limit and managed to get ahead of Diana. The blonde grunted when their bodies collided with each other, miscalculating how fast Diana was falling as he was pulled to the ground with her quickly wrapping his arms around her.

The impact on the ground caused them to separate. "Diana!" Draco shouted as he scrambled back to Diana's unconscious body as people and the professors quickly ran onto the field. He cradled her in his arms and felt his blood turn cold when he noticed the ghastly looking hand imprint around Diana's throat and the small trickle of blood leaking from the corner of her lips. He was about to call for the adults to get here faster and to get help but the Ivanovs and Tom had arrived before the professors, looking pale at what has happened.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

Diana groaned a little as she woke up from the sounds loud voices. "How dare you just stand there and continue to lie to my face, Dumbledore!" Stepan roared at the Headmaster, looking about ready to punch his lights out as he made jabbing motions at his with his pointer finger. Tom is standing next to the Russian, and Diana couldn't tell who was stopping whom from flailing their fists. "Gentlemen." Valentina had a pinched look on her face as she caught the men's attention once she noticed Diana was awake. "She is awake." She gave her a watery smile, gently patting her hand as Tom and Stepan rushed to sit by her bedside. **_"Vy napugali nas." (R)_** (You have given us quite the fright.) Stepan said gently.

Diana bowed her head as if in shame, knowing that Dumbledore is watching. **_"Izvinite, chto zastavil vas vsekh volnovat'sya." (R)_** (Sorry for making you all worry.) Valentina tutted at her husband before looking back at Diana. "What happened up there, sweetheart? You suddenly just plunged from the sky, passed out." Diana didn't even question the sudden changed from Russian to English and pretended to shiver as if she was remembering something. "There was...alot...of dementors. One just...swooped at me...and grabbed my neck." At the end of that, the adults were shooting glares at Dumbledore. "I thought you said _all_ dementors weren't permitted to leave the school grounds!" Stepan snarled as he grabbed the old man by his robe collar.

Dumbledore looked calm as ever but his blue eyes showed signs of annoyance as he forced the Russian to let him go. "Mr. Ivanov, I assure you, this was not supposed to happen. Yes, the dementors are not supposed to leave the confines of the school grounds but as I'm sure you are _well_ aware, these creatures are unpredictable." Stepan's eyes turned icy cold, his voice to match as he stood toe to toe with the old man. "I don't like what you are implying, Dumbledore. I have not nor will I ever be sent to Azkaban. I'm not like your father and yourself, attacking and bothering children." He gave a scathing looking as the old man's flashed dangerously.

"Good day, Mr. Ivanov." He said coldly and briskly left the infirmary. Diana snickered at this and leaned back against her propped pillow. She realized how sore her throat felt as she instinctively touched her neck. The dementor's grip was strong and must have left some deep marks on her skin. **_"K sozhaleniyu, etot sinyak budet tam okolo nedeli." (R)_ **(Unfortunately, that bruise is going to be there for about a week.) Tom said in a soft voice but his eyes looked like rolling storms as he eyes the hand-sized bruise. Diana decided for a subject change. **_"Gde moya metla, otets? Dolzhno byt', yego sdul sil'nyy veter." (R)_** (Where is my broom, Father? It must have gotten blown away by the strong wind.)

The three adults looked at each other expectedly before turning their attention back to her. Diana noticed how apologetic Valentina looked. **_"Prosti, dorogaya. Tvoya metla byla povrezhdena, kogda udarilas' v Idu. Vy pomnite istorii, kotoryye vash otets rasskazyval vam o dereve?" (R)_** (I'm sorry, sweetheart. Your broom got damaged when it hit the Whomping Willow. Do you remember the stories your father told you about the tree?)

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

Diana had a deep scowl on her face that seemed like it wasn't going away any time soon. The gang was sitting around her at the circle of couches in the middle of the Slytherin common room. They all were snickering but Ginny looked the most amused. Flint stepped into the common room through the portal and raised an eyebrow at the look on Diana's face. "She is just in a bad mood because she lost her broom to a tree," Draco said in a teasing tone once he noticed Flint's questioning look, causing the guy to snort. Diana glared at nothing particular. **_"_** ** _Je jure qu'un jour, je vais brûler ce foutu arbre." (F)_ **(I swear, one day, I'm going to burn that damn tree to a crisp.) The gang howled with laughter.

November 8th, Monday

The class flew in a frenzy when Remus appeared in Defence Against the Dark Arts. Well, only the Gryffindors were complaining about the essay Severus assigned to the class last time. "Ten rolls of parchment!" Someone kept on shouting, sounding like a broken record player. "All right class, settle down, settle down," Remus said with a kind smile on his face as the class immediately quieted down. "Don't worry about the essay. I'll have a talk with Professor Snape." The room practically sighed with relief at this. "Now, today, we will be talking about hinkypunks. Who can tell me what this creature is?"

December 6th, Monday

"Severus." Remus simply stated, not bothering to turn his gaze from the cloudless night sky to look over his shoulder. "Remus," Severus said with a curt nod as he stepped out from the shadows created by the outdoor pillars. It had been a few days since Remus had returned from his 'sick leave', and he looked more haggard than before. Of course, Severus knows his secret. "Another sleepless night?" The potions master asked as he walked over to stand next to the man, propping his elbows against the cold stone rails. "Unfortunately," Remus said with a slight scowl.

"It's the same bloody dream. I need to stop seeing those stupid eyes." In the end, Remus was glaring at nothing particular and was snarling a little. Severus rolled his eyes like he had heard that same line numerous times already. "Then I suggest you treat the situation like an adult and go talk to him." He drawled out. Remus shot him a side glare. "And you know bloody well why I'm _not_ going to do that." Severus rolled his eyes for the second time, mostly out of frustration. They have had countless arguments in the past which always ended up with fists flying.

"What I don't understand is why you continue to torture yourself. I have explained to you why you mustn't listen to what Dumbledore says." Severus eventually asked. Remus sighed like he was talking to a child. "Dumbledore _saved_ my life, Severus. He only showed me the truth. I refuse to mate with the person who turned me into the child of the moon." Severus groaned in frustration. "Of, for the love of the Gods, you can't change how your creature side chooses to love! Fenrir-" Severus felt the air rush from his lungs with a grunt as he was violently shoved against the wall. "Don't you dare say his fucking name in front of me." Remus hissed as his hand clutched at the potion master's shirt collar, his normally brown eyes were now golden yellow.

Severus glared viciously at the man as he grabbed at both of his wrists and proceeded to yank at the arms to let his shirt go, but neither would budge. "Greyback doesn't know how to love." Remus snarled before viciously letting go of the potion master's collar, taking in delight when the back of his head lightly smacked against the stone wall. "If he knew how to love, it wouldn't involve pheromones to lure me to him."

December 18th, Saturday

Hurry, Diana! Or else we'll be late!" Pansy said frantically as she, Ginny, Daphne, Diana, and Hermione as fast as their pure blood legs could allow them to go. Diana rolled her eyes. "Pans, we have been to Hogsmeade plenty of times before. There's no need to rush." Hermione tutted lightly, looking slightly disapproving. "Of course there is. Not if we plan to go to every store and get back into the castle by the requested time." Diana rolled her eyes again. **_"_** ** _Et vous vous souciez de ce que Dumbledore veut?" (F)_** (And you care about what Dumbledore wants?) Hermione snorts at this. **_"_** ** _Putain non. Nous reviendrons juste une minute en retard." (F)_** (Fuck no. We'll just get back a minute late.)

The girls smirk just as they arrived at the courtyard where those who were allowed to go to Hogsmeade were supposed to meet. "Let me remind you all that you are students of Hogwarts. You will refrain from tarnishing this fine establishment's reputation. If myself or any of the other professors hear anything unsavory has happened, you will be reprimanded severely." Professor McGonagall said sternly. "Yes. Professor." The students said in unison.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Hermione, why don't you get this one?" Daphne recommended to her sister in the formal attire boutique shop. The gang had split off into two sections, the boys and the girls. They agreed to meet back up at the Three Broomsticks in a couple of hours. The brown-haired girl scrunched her nose a little at the sight of the dress. "Are you kidding me? That looks gaudy on me." She said in a whisper to not attract attention from the shop owner. The girls needed to pick out dresses to wear to the Christmas party at the Ivanov mansion. Each girl loaded their arms with dresses to try out in the changing room.

At the end, Diana selected a burgundy off-the-shoulder dress with lace beading on the bodice, a cream-colored v-neck tulle dress with beaded bodice and split side for Pansy, a black knee lengthed long-sleeved tulle dress for Hermione, a navy blue long sleeved knee lengthed laced chiffon dress for Daphne, a blood red sleeveless laced mini dress with a jeweled waist for Ginny. Now, off to buy Christmas gifts for everyone.

December 19th, Sunday

Snow fell as the Hogwarts Express chugged through the valley towards King's Cross Station for the winter holidays. The casual conversation picked back up once they all bought a cup of peppermint hot chocolate from the trolley. "Diana, do you know if your father will have your godfather attack the school again during the break?" Theo asked curiously. Diana shook her head as she ran the tips of her fingers against her armrest. "No, my father doesn't plan to have another attack. He wants another town raid and he needs all hands since some of our people are locked up in Azkaban. Why do you ask?" Theo shook his head.

"Oh, nothing. I don't want to miss the expression on Dumbledore's face when Sirius attacks the school for the second time." The others snickered at the thought.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

King's Cross is packed full as Diana stepped off the train onto the platform. It didn't take long to locate Tom since he seemed to tower over everyone else. Tom chuckled as he pulled her close for a tight hug once he saw her running to him. "I missed you so much, Princess." She heard him mumble against her hair. "I missed you too, father." She said before pulling away. The gang had located their families and all converged to that one spot. After promises of seeing them all at tomorrow's meeting, they all left the station.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Christopher!" Diana said with excitement once she saw her brother's looming figure in the sitting room. "Hey, Diana." He said with a smile as he welcomed her with a tight hug. Diana frowned when she felt him twitch and heard a barely concealed hiss from pain before pulling away to look up at his face. "Are you ok, Christopher? Did you hurt yourself?" She asked, Christopher quickly pulled a smile, not really dispelling the worry on her face. "Don't worry. It's just a little sore. I've been training with my classmates." Diana frowned a little as Tom came into the room. "Training? Training to go against Dumbledore?" She asked. She had barely done any training let alone think that her father would pull the plug so soon.

"No, training for something in the next school year," Tom said as he motioned for the two to sit down. "What's going to happen?" Diana asked curiously once everyone had sat down. Christopher smirked as he scruffed up her hair with his hand. "It will be a surprise." Diana groaned as she shot mocking glares at her brother. "You ass, just tell me now," Christopher smirks evilly and stuck his tongue at her and got into a tickle match with his sister.

December 20th, Monday

"What on earth is going on here?!" Stepan asked the aurors furiously. Shacklebolt gazed scrutiny around the entryway as he stuck his hand into his robe pocket and pulled a rolled up piece of parchment paper with the official Ministry red wax seal. "We have been given a tip about dark objects in this establishment. Here is our warrant to search the premises." The head auror said as he passed the parchment to Stepan before motioning to the aurors to start their search. Valentina placed protective arms around Diana and Christopher as Stepan broke the wax seal and his eyes followed the words on the paper, Tom reading over his shoulder. **_"Etot grebanyy ublyudok!" (R)_** (That fucking bastard!) Stepan growled once he reached the end of the page.

 ** _"Chto eto, lyubov' moya? Chto zdes' proiskhodit?" (R)_** (What is it, my Love? What is going on?) Valentina asked with worry. **_"Eto dolzhno byt' delom Dambldora. On khochet vstryakhnut' nas." (R)_** (This has to be Dumbledore's doing. He wants to shake us up.) Stepan growled as they heard the sounds of porcelains being placed back down in their original spots rather hard then they would like. **_"Ne volnuytes', oni nichego ne naydut. Staryy ublyudok dumal, chto my ostavim temnyye predmety pod otkrytym nebom, gde ikh, ochevidno, mozhno budet nayti" (R)_** (Don't worry, they won't find anything. The old bastard thought we would leave dark objects out in the open where it can obviously be found.) Tom stated, his eyes glaring towards the aurors who clearly had no disregards to priceless objects as they carried on with their raid.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

An hour had passed and the aurors still haven't left, even when they have done the search twice already. Apparently, the aurors weren't happy that there were no dark objects in the entire mansion and needed to do it again. Just to be sure. "My apologies for taking up your time, Mr. Ivanov. We found no such objects here. We best be going." Shacklebolt said as he stood in the parlor room with his aurors. Stepan gave him a curt nod of his head and watched as he apparated first before the others quickly followed after before there was one left. This auror gave them threatening glares, apparently not pleased with how the raid went.

"Where are you hiding the dark objects, huh? I bet you have a secret room filled with them." Christopher took a step towards the guy, his tall structure made him loom over him as his cold eyes made in contact with the auror. "Go ahead. The results will be the same. Make sure the one who tipped you gets the message too." The auror scowled even deeper and left with a sharp crack.

December 23rd, Thursday

The live orchestra played gently in the background as the guests talked softly to each other. "Ah, Mr. Ivanov! I'm so glad you, your wife and your brother-in-law." Cornelius said with a resounding voice as he walked up to greet them, a childish giddy smile on his face. The Minister of Magic was hosting a gala as well as a silent auction. Stepan sneered as he shook hands with him. "Believe me, Fudge, I wouldn't have come after what your aurors did in my house under the impression that there are dark objects in my house on a tip from Dumbledore." He said coldly. Cornelius looked confused before noticing someone who had just arrived in the hall and gestured them to come over.

"Dumbledore, we were just talking about you. Mr. Ivanov seems to have gotten the impression that you were the one who tipped the aurors off to their house. Is this true?" Cornelius inquired. Dumbledore simply looked shocked that he knew so fast but didn't seem distraught about it. "It is true. I only did it in concern for my student, Miss Ivanov." Stepan and Tom could barely hold back from scowling. Of course, Dumbledore would say that. "Ah, well, then, its settled then. If you will please excuse me, gentlemen. I have guests to greet." With a jolly smile, he left the two to greet some guests who came from the French Ministry of Magic.

"You never give up, do you Dumbledore?" Stepan sneered as the two men stood toe to toe. Dumbledore had that same old crazy twinkly eyes as he shook his head, sighing with disappointment. "I assure you that I have the best intentions for your daughter, Mr. Ivanov. Being surrounded by all this darkness for all this time isn't healthy for a girl her age." Stepan hissed at the false concern and looked like he was going to sock the guy on the face but Tom stopped him with a motion of his hand. **_"Ostav' yego poka, Stepan. Posmotrim, kak dolgo prodlitsya yego samodovol'stvo." (R)_** (Leave him be for now, Stepan. We'll see how long his smugness will last him.) Stepan sneered at the old man one last time, internally pleased that the headmaster couldn't understand Russian.

December 25th, Saturday

The Ivanov mansion was lavishly decorated with Christmas decoration, all the guests scattered comfortably around the main floor, alcoholic drinks for the adults and sparkling cider for the children. "My lady," Fenrir said with a polite dip of his head as Diana happened to walked passed him in the corridor adjacent to the dining room and the living room. "I heard that one of your professors is a werewolf. Who is he? I'm acquainted with most of the werewolves in Europe." He asked, giving her a feral smile that could make a grown man wet himself once they caught a glimpse of his mangled face. Diana silently raised an eyebrow as she took a sip of her drink before replying.

"If you must know, his name is Lupin. Remus Lupin." The moment she spoke, the alpha werewolf turned deathly pale, his face filled with conflicting emotions before she saw his jaws clench tightly. "Excuse me, my lady." He said curtly before quickly leaving the area. leaving Diana puzzled. A question she will ask her father after the party was over.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

The double doors going into the backyard swung shut with a soft thud as the adults continued with their lively conversations in the dining room, their stomachs filled with dinner and dessert. "Finally, time to ourselves." Blaise groaned happily as he hopped off the last step and landed on the snow-covered ground, his shoes making a satisfying crunch. It had snowed during dinner and had covered up the old footsteps that had littered the backyard from earlier and the Christmas lights decorating the trees made the snow sparkle. The gang had placed warming charms over themselves despite wearing thick winter coats and scarves as well as placed water-repelling charms on their expensive shoes. Daphne, Ginny, Pansy, Theo, Crabbe, Goyle, and Neville chuckled as they joined Blaise on the fresh snow, their breaths visible in the night sky. Hermione had opted to stay inside with Christopher, saying that she would rather listen to adults drone on and on then have her ass freeze.

Diana and Draco lagged behind the group, her hand gently dripping his arm as she cautiously stepped down the final step. Wouldn't want to make a fool of herself by slipping on ice, right? Draco glanced over to her and happened to glance at the necklace danging from her neck. The necklace he gave her as a Christmas gift. "You're wearing the necklace..." He said softly, mesmerized at how beautiful it looked on her. It turns out that the necklace has a twin and mostly aims for couples. Neither knew that the other bought the corresponding necklace for the other. Diana briefly looked down at the necklace as if she forgot what it looked like before looking back up at the blonde and smiled softly.

"Of course I would wear it. You always manage to give me the most beautiful things." She said. Draco's cheeks went slightly pink, though it was hard to tell since his cheek was flushed from the cold night air. _You deserve the most beautiful things._ He thought before smiling, his cheeks getting a little pinker. "I'm glad you like it." He said softly. Before the blonde could react, Diana leaned close to him and pressed a soft kiss on his cheek before pulling away. "Thank you." She said, trying not to laugh at his shocked expression but was failing miserably. "Come on, let's catch up to the others." She said with a light chuckle as she gently pulled his arm to walk with him. Only then, did he snap out of his shock and still felt the warm feeling on her kiss on his skin.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

The gang had no real destination so they mindlessly walked around the snow, their warming and water-repellent charms still working. They found themselves feet away from the forest that was just outside the perimeters of the Ivanov property, the mansion still looming in the background. They have long pass walked through the protective barrier, knowing that Valentina and Stepan had felt that. Diana briefly looked down at the snow-covered ground when she noticed another set of footprints ahead of them, immediately tuning out the conversations next to her. It hasn't been covered by the fresh snow, so it must have happened just as the snow had stopped falling.

"Guys, stop." She said quickly, silently squeezing Draco's arm for him to stop walking as well. The gang looked at her in puzzlement. "What is it, Dia-" Daphne stopped talking when Diana silently bought up a finger to her lips before gesturing to the foot tracks leading into the forest. Whoever left those footprints knew that there was a barrier and had managed to keep watch of the mansion without disturbing the barrier. The gang nodded in understanding as they drew out their wands from their thick coats as they followed the footsteps into the forest, making a deal of not trying to hide the fact their footsteps sounded so loud on the snow as to not alert the person that they have caught on to something wrong.

 ** _"_** ** _Mes parents se rendent au Louvre pour la nouvelle exposition d'art. Est-ce que l'un de vous ira?" (F)_** (My parents are heading to the Louvre for the new art exhibit. Will any of you be going?) Draco asked, his body tense but his voice smooth as ever as he felt Diana's hand leave from his arm, preparing for any attacks to happen. _**"**_ ** _Mes parents y vont définitivement." (F)_** (My parents are definitely going.) Pansy stated in a matter of fact tone. Suddenly, a red spark shot towards them from the shadows of the trees produced by the crescent moon in the sky, making everyone dive for cover. Diana let out a grunt when Draco knocked her to the ground just in time to dodge another spell.

They quickly scrambled to their feet and sprinted over to take cover behind some bushes and a tree as more curses were sent flying. "Are you okay?" Draco asked her as he steadied his breathing, taking a peek over the brush. "Yeah." She whispered as she watched Blaise, who was hiding behind a large tree with Ginny, shoot a curse towards the tree where the person was hiding, causing the tree to explode to bits. The person scrambled out from hiding, barely avoiding the large pieces from hitting his head but leaving himself wide open for Diana. _"Stupefy."_ She said calmly as the spell hit the person straight in the middle of the back.

The person barely made a sound as they hit the ground face first with a thud. The gang slowly stood up from their hiding spot after a few minutes of silence. "Who is he?" Pansy asked out loud as the gang merged back together to the body, their wands still drawn out. "Could Dumbledore have sent him?" Daphne pipped in. Diana didn't answer any of their questions, silently motioning for Crabbe and Goyle to hoist the guy onto his feet, noticing that he was a rather big looking. The boys did as they were told, groaning as they hoisted his limp body onto his feet with their meaty hands as the rest kept their wands trained on the guy just case. Diana reached out to grip the guy's chin, making his head tilt back to give her a better look.

"Well, well well," Diana said in a taunting tone as she let go of his chin, a cold smirk on her face as she watched his head roll forward again. "Let's see who you are." She said in a light tone as she dove her hand into his jacket pocket. Quill. Inkpot. Roll of parchment. Auror badge. Diana gave the auror a brief glare before unfrilling the roll of parchment, noticing brief sentences were jotted down about any activities happening. She scoffed coldly as she rolled the parchment back up and placed it in her coat pocket, her demeanor quickly changing to ice. "Auror Grimshaw here has been watching the mansion since the start of the winter holidays."

Diana quickly canceled the spell, watching as the auror stirred awake, at first confused as to what had just happened before realizing that he was being held up by two kids. "You're not a very good auror, aren't you, Mr. Grimshaw." She sneered coldly, watching the auror turn pale and scrambled to think of a reasonable explanation to get him out of the situation. "Don't even bother, Grimshaw. We found everything in your pocket." Draco snarled as he showed the auror's badge in his hand. Noticing this, the auror stood up straight and tilt his nose up. "You won't be getting anything from me. I will never betray Dumbledore." Diana smirked coldly and motioned to Draco. "Restrain him. Its time he goes for a little walk."

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

Tom looked up as Diana stepped into the dining room, her cheeks still slightly flushed from walking around outside. The adults in the room quieted down upon her entry. "Father, there is a surprise for you." She said to the Dark Lord, a glimmer of anticipation in her eyes. Tom raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "A surprise? What is it?" Diana rolled her eyes, snorting softly. "You're missing the point of a surprise, Father." She then reached to gently take his hand. "Come on. I want everyone to come with me down to the dungeon. Your surprise is waiting." The adults chuckled softly as they complied to her wishes, standing up from their seats with the Dark Lord. "Very well, Princess. Show me this surprise." Tom said. Diana grinned as she leads the adults down to the dungeon.

Their path was lit by torchlight as they walked down the stone steps before reaching the final wooden door, the sounds of pained male screams could be head from within. **_"Zaklyuchennyy?" (R)_** (A prisoner?) Valentina asked curiously just as Diana took a hold of the brass door handle. "Just wait and see who it is," Diana said over her shoulder with a delighted grin and the door opened with a low groan. The sound of pained screams was louder as they stepped into the dungeon, hearing someone shouting in annoyance. "Who sent you?!" Diana took the adults to the last cell, just in time to see the captive auror spit at Neville, flecks of bloody spit landing on his crisp white shirt collar while the rest of the gang standing along the wall.

The auror was chained to the stone wall, shirtless with obvious deep slashes littering his exposed chest and back. Everyone was dead quiet until Pansy marched over to the prisoner and slapped him hard across the face. She was about to yell at him when she realized that the adults were standing there. "My lord." The gang said in unison, bowing their head respectively. Tom looked pleased as he nodded at them before they stood upright. "Who do we have here?" He asked as he stepped into the cell, the other adults opting to stay on the other side, the prisoner looking up to just freeze with fear when he saw those red eyes looking straight at him.

 ** _"_** ** _Nous l'avons trouvé en train de surveiller l'endroit." (F)_** (We found him surveying the place.) Draco stated, noticing the prisoner eyeing them closely. **_"_** ** _Nous les avons trouvés dans ses poches, mon père." (F)_** (We found these in his pockets, Father.) Diana said as she passed the rolled up parchment and auror badge. **_"_** ** _Nous l'avons torturé pour obtenir des informations." (F)_** (We've been torturing him to get information.) Draco stated as Neville nodded in confirmation. The gang never noticed how proud their parents looked, each happy that their child was acknowledged by the Dark Lord. **_"I've read what was on the parchment. He has been recording what he has been seeing but honestly, none of the information is of importance." _**Diana hissed in Parseltongue, causing the prisoner to shiver at the sound as Tom silently unfrilled the roll of parchment and read the slanted words.

He didn't even say a word as he rolled it back up once he was done. "You won't be needing _this_ anymore." He said towards the prisoner before making a brief head motion towards the gang. **_"_** ** _Traitez-le comme bon vous semble. Une fois que vous avez terminé, faites le moi savoir. Je ferai en sorte que Dumbledore voie notre travail." (F)_** (Deal with him as you see fit. Once you are done, let me know. I'll make sure Dumbledore sees our handiwork.) The gang smirked with delight as the parents left the area, leaving them alone with the prisoner. "Well, looks like your luck has run out," Diana said with indifference. "Just as I was starting to like you."

The gang cackled with delight as they moved to stand around the prisoner in a circle. The prisoner looked slightly pale, whether it's from the pain or just plain scared, neither of them cared. "You bastards! Dumbledore will know that it is you the moment they find my body!" The gang looked unfazed by this, to much to the prisoner's surprise. **_"_** ** _Hey, comment allons-nous décider qui ira en premier?" (F)_** (Hey, how are we going to decide who will go first?) Draco asked. Pansy tutted as if the answer was the most obvious. **_"_** ** _Bien sûr, ce sera Diana, puis le reste de nous, les filles, ensuite ce sera vous les garçons." (F)_** (Of course, it will be Diana, then the rest of us girls, _then_ it will be you boys.) The boys scoffed in disbelief.

 ** _"_** ** _Absolument pas. Nous prévoyons de le torturer pendant un certain temps et je sais pertinemment que plus de sang sera versé. Je préférerais avoir du sang versé sur moi puis sur votre belle robe et détruire vos traits magnifiques." (F)_** (Absolutely not. We plan on torturing him for a while and I know for a fact that more blood will be spilled. I would rather have blood spilled on me then on your beautiful dress and destroy your stunning features.) Neville said, catching everyone off guard a little but especially Pansy, who was sporting rather flushed cheeks. **_"_** ** _B_** ** _-Bien, tu peux venir avant moi ... mais ne pense pas que cela se produira la prochaine fois." (F)_** (F-Fine, you can go before me...but don't think that will happen the next time.)

Neville flashed her a grin before being shoved teasingly by Blaise, causing the rest of the gang to laugh. _What the fuck is wrong with these kids?!_ The prisoner thought as he shifted on his sore feet, causing the chains holding him up to rattle and bringing their attention back to him.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

All the party guests had left, leaving the mansion oddly quiet. Just the way Diana liked it. Her bare feet daintily walked across the white marble floor. She wasn't ready to go to bed yet. Besides, she still had things to ask her father. She found him sitting in front of the fireplace in one of the armchairs in the living room, flipping through what looks like a photo album. "Father?" She asked gently. Tom briefly looked up b3fore looking back at a photo while motioning for her to come over. "You're not going to sleep yet, Princess?" He asked as she came to a stop next to him and gently wrapped an arm around her waist, letting her sit on his left armrest.

"No. I actually have a question for you." She said, silently looked at the photo of her parents looking loving at each other in front of the Christmas tree. Tom took a deep breath before snapping the album close before looking up at her with amused eyes. "Ask away, Princess. What do you want to know?" He asked as he leaned up to gently kiss her hair while he moved a bit to make room for her in the armchair. Diana sighed as she rested her head on his shoulder before speaking. "I was speaking to Greyback earlier tonight and I mentioned Remus Lupin to him. He turned pale and just left. Why? Did something happen between both of them?"

Tom snorts as he subconsciously started stroking her hair. "That's one way of putting it." They both were silent, minus the crackling of the burning wood. "Princess, do you know what soul mates are?" He then asked. Diana nodded. "Wizards and witches can have it bit most magical creatures experience this type of relationship. Were Lupin and Greyback soul mates?" Tom nodded. "Yes. Lupin already had apprehensions about being in a binding relationship with the person who permanently made his life a living hell, but no one blamed him. His worries were getting better and farther in between but someone decided to make his fears worse and dug them deep in him emotionally."

Diana was about to ask who this 'person' was but honestly, a familiar name kept popping up in her mind. "Dumbledore." She growled lowly. Tom scoffed in agreement. They were silent once again before an idea popped in her head. "We need to bring them together again." She said softly, more to herself really before she stood up before Tom could say anything. "Ok, goodnight Father." She said as she peeked his cheek before leaving the room, leaving the Dark Lord slightly confused.

December 26th, Sunday

"Lucius my love, promise me we will come back to the Louvre again," Narcissa asked the moment they stepped through the floo into their living room. They had just got back from their date in France. They had gotten tickets to see the new art exhibit. Lucius chuckled as he helped her take off his wife out of her fur cloak, revealing a greyish blue satin dress that seemed to flow along the curves of her body as Dobby appeared in front of them. "Of course, my love." Narcissa thanked him with a gentle kiss on the cheek before they walked out of the room together with the house elf following after her with their winter coats in its hands.

"Dobby, is my son in bed yet?" Narcissa asked as they walked into the main corridor and proceeded to head towards the staircase leading upstairs. "Young master Draco be asleep, Mistress, but he fell asleep in the parlor room. I dare not wake up him up." Dobby squeaked out as they immediately switched course and then proceeded to walk towards the said room. The fireplace in the room was lit and the couple could just make out their son laying on the couch, the fire lighting up his sleeping face. Narcissa laughed softly as she placed a hand on her chest right over her heart. "Our son looks so cute." She said with a whisper as Lucius moved to stand behind her, placing his hands gently on her shoulders.

"Come, let him sleep here for tonight and we head to our bed. I'm sure he is in the middle of a pleasent dream." Narcissa gazed up at him over her shoulder and smiled that same smile that had him falling in love with her all those years ago. They both left to their room, neither of them noticed that soft smile that appeared on Draco's face while grasping the necklace that Diana gave him for Christmas in his sleep.

December 30th, Thursday

"Keep laughing, Diana. You nearly knocked me off my broom." Draco scowled at her, making her laugh ever more as they both stepped back inside for a late lunch. They had been practicing flying around the snow covered grounds since after breakfast, both excited to test out the Firebolt's abilities. "Your just cranky because your jealous." She teased. The blonde simply stuck his tongue out at her as they rounded at the door way into the dining room see that they won't be the only ones for lunch. Christopher was already there with a beautiful girl around his age with silver blonde hair. She obviously looked like a veela when she looked over at them with grey blue eyes that shone like gemstones.

"Its about time you both came back inside. Scab looked about ready to cry when you if you were gone any longer." Christopher said with a smirk as he leaned back in his chair, already done with his meal as well as his companion. "Christopher darling, where are your manners? Why don't you introduce me to your sister?" The girl said with a thick French accent, a pale hand reaching out to touch him on the arm. "My apologize, Odette," He said as he briefly looked over at said girl before turning his attention back to Diana and Draco. "This is my friend from school, Odette Delacour. Odette, I want you to meet my sister, Diana and her childhood friend, Draco Malfoy. Odette has been helping me with my training." Christopher said as respective head tilts went around.

"Is that so? I'm beginning to wonder when I will ever get to see the results of your training, my dear brother." Diana said with a sly smile on her face as Scab appeared into the room with food. Christopher chuckled. "Like I said before, dear sister, you will see in due time. The only clue I will tell you is that, next school year, you both will experience something that will only happen once in your life time." That peaked Diana's interested.

January 2nd, Sunday

 ** _"_** ** _Es-tu sérieux, Diana? Pourquoi aurions-nous besoin de réunir ces deux personnes?" (F)_** (Are you serious, Diana? Why would we need to bring those two together?) Theo asked with a deep frown on his face. **_"_** ** _Ne vaudrait-il pas mieux laisser ces deux-là tels quels? Si Dumbledore sait que ces deux-là sont réunis, il saura immédiatement que c'est ce que fait le Seigneur des Ténèbres." (F)_** (Wouldn't it be better to leave those two as it is? If Dumbledore knows that those two back together, he will immediately know that it is the Dark Lord's doing.) Dina smirks as she looked away from the passing view from outside of the moving Hogwarts Express.

 ** _"_** ** _Et nous savons tous qu'il fera tout ce qui est en son pouvoir pour s'opposer à la réunion. Il peut dire tout ce qu'il veut mais il ne voudra pas expliquer pourquoi deux créatures magiques devraient être ensemble sans mettre au jour ce qu'il a fait. Il préférerait sauver sa propre peau, puis admettre qu'il s'était mêlé de la liaison de deux âmes sœurs." (F)_** (And we all know that he will do all he can to oppose the reunion. He can say all he wants but he won't be ab;e to explain why two magical creatures should be together without bringing to light what he has been doing. He would rather save his own skin then admit that he had been meddling with the bonding of two soul mates.) The gang silently nodded until Pansy broke the silence.

 ** _"_** ** _Attends un instant. Et si Lupin choisit de ne pas encore être à Greyback une fois que nous aurons terminé? Et si l'ingérence de Dumbledore dans leur relation était trop profonde et que rien ne pouvait la réparer?" (F)_** (Wait just a moment. What if Lupin chooses to still not be with Greyback once we are done? What if Dumbledore's meddling into their relationship has gone too deep and nothing can fix it?) That's a good question. Hermione frowned, her arms folded across her chest.

 ** _"_** ** _Si Lupin était un être humain mortel, oui, il est possible qu'il ne retourne pas à Greyback. Mais il ne l'est pas. C'est une créature magique. Il ne pourra pas résister à l'appel de son compagnon dès qu'il apercevra Greyback. En outre, si Lupin n'aimait pas son compagnon, Greyback serait mort maintenant, de chagrin." (F)_** (If Lupin was a mortal human being, yes there is a possibility that he won't go back to Greyback. But he isn't. He is a magical creature. He won't be able to resist the call of his mate the moment he sees Greyback. Besides, if Lupin didn't love his mate, Greyback would be dead by now, from heartbreak.) Blaise's eyes widened in understanding.

 ** _Il peut le nier mais, inconsciemment, il aime toujours Greyback." (F)_** (He may deny it but subconsciously still loves Greyback.) Hermione nodded softly.

January 3rd, Monday

"Alright, settle down, settle down," Lupin said with a smile as he sat down on the edge of his desk with his arms folded across his chest. "Now, who here knows what those dementors are?" Hermione's hand immediately shot up. Lupin smiled and nodded his head for her to respond. "Anyone smart enough knows that dementors came here from Azkaban." The Slytherins snickered in delight. "How they come to be the way they are, is unknown. All we know is that they feed on fear and unhappiness. Some say that is how they feed. They do not breed also." Remus nodded with a pleased look on his face. "Very good, Miss Greengrass. Ten points to Slytherin. Now, who here knows _what_ repels a dementor?"

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"You guys go ahead. I'll meet you at dinner. Save me a seat." Diana said to the rest of the gang, getting nods as confirmation. She took her time putting her books back in her book bag, occasionally looking up to see the Lupin was nose deep in grading the essays that were due in the last class. _Let the show begin._ Diana thought and slowly made her way towards Lupin's desk. "Professor? May I have a word with you?" She asked. Lupin barely flinched as he briefly looked up from reading one of the essays he was reading. "Of course, Miss. Ivanov. He placed his quill down and gave her his full attention. "What did you want to speak to me about?"

Diana put up a nervous front, pacing side to side in front of the desk. "The Patronus charm...can you show me how to perform it?" She asked, stopping midstep and looked over her shoulder at him. Lupin raised an eyebrow and leaned back in his chair, stippling his fingers together over his chest. "Miss. Ivanov, I can certainly teach you, but you must understand. This charm is very advanced. I can't promise that you can perform a corporeal Patronus." Diana raised an eyebrow this time. "I like a challenge." This response surprised Lupin. The male frowned slightly as he leaned forward in his seat to take a closer look at her. "Who are you, Miss. Ivanov? Your amount of courage and knowledge are beyond those of your peers." She had been piquing his interest since the start of the school year.

Diana hummed softly to herself like she realized something and turned around to leave to the Great Hall for dinner. "You'll know soon enough. He isn't too far away, you know." She said, purposely sounding cryptic. Lupin opened his mouth to ask her to explain but she was soon out of the classroom. _Looks like I will have to get more answers from Severus._

January 4th, Tuesday

"Are you stalking me now, Lupin?" Severus drawled, not even bothering to turn around to see if he was right. Years of being by the Dark Lord's side has honed his observation skills immensely, especially for such nights when he has patrol like tonight. " _Please_. You are a creature of habit, Snape. I've known that since our days in Hogwarts." Remus said, emerging from the shadows. His stealth is almost as good as Severus. Severus rolled his eyes as he moved to lean back against the wall, his attention fully on the man. "Let's keep our 'traveling down memory lane' to a minimum, shall we? Tell me what you want." He drawled. "You know damn well what I want. Answers as to who Miss. Ivanov is and what her last statement meant." Remus said in a patient, something Severus had grown to despise along time ago.

"And let me repeat what Miss. Ivanov said. You will find out soon." He said with a final word before turning around to leave.

January 6th, Thursday

"When they got near me," Diana intentionally made her voice waver. "I could hear my mother screaming in pain." Her eyes even teared up as she stared down at Lupin's desk. If she wanted him on her side, he had to know the truth right? "So, Valentina isn't your biological mother?" He asked softly. She shook her head. "No, adoptive." She mumbled. She heard the professor stepped up to stand next to her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, bringing her back from her thoughts. "Come. Let us go back to the training, shall we? We will do this one more time and we will end for tonight." He said in a gentle persuasive voice. Diana nodded and picked up her wand from his desk as Lupin walked back to the chest with a complicated lock in the middle of the room.

"You are doing very well, Miss. Ivanov. Much better than most adults who attempted this." Diana simply nodded at his words as she walked to stand towards the middle of the room. "Now, I want you to concentrate on a happy memory. What memory you were thinking of?" He asked curiously as he stood next to said chest. Diana shrugged her shoulders slightly. "Catching the Golden Snitch last year." She lied easily. She wasn't actually thinking of anything. She just wanted to test out how strong she was without doing anything. Lupin had an inquisitive look on his face as he shook his head a little. "No, you need to think of something happier then that. Think harder and make sure it is in the forefront of your mind." He said, his eyes looking closely at Diana as she looked as though she was actually doing so.

"Are you ready to try again?" The professor asked when he noticed Diana's face looked determined to try again. She simply nodded. "Alright." He said with a light smile as he knelt down on one knee and waved his hand over the complicated lock. Diana heard the sounds of locks magically being unlocked one by one as she got into her battle stance, her wand being held loosely in her hand. She was ready to show what she could really do. Lupin grasped the lid of the chest just as it was completely unlocked before flipping it open. A dementor came soaring out from within the chest, black mist trailing behind it, looking very much like the Death Eaters, the sounds of rattling instantly filled the room as the atmosphere turned icy cold.

 _I am the daughter of the Dark Lord. I shall not show fear._ "Expecto Patronum!" Diana shouted, the memory of seeing her father playing loud and clear in her head as the creature noticed her and came charging at her. How her heart throbbed simply at that moment. Suddenly a brilliant white light shot from her wand, so bright that it encased the entire room with it, caused the dementor to shriek in agony as its bony hands tried to shield it's blackhole for a face from the light momentarily before realizing that inside the chest was the only dark space left. It quickly whipped around and shot into the chest, screaming as it did before the chest slam itself closed.

The bright light immediately disappeared just as it came, leaving the room surprisingly darker then it was before as Diana panting a little. "Brilliant!" Lupin shouted with excitement. "Absolutely brilliant! That was the brightest light I have ever seen, especially on your first day of lessons, no doubt." He strolled over to her as she walked back to sit on the edge of his desk. "Here. Have a piece of chocolate." He said as he pulled a bar of Honeyduke's milk chocolate from his coat pocket, snapping off a good sized piece for her. She silently thanked him as she took it. "How on earth did you manage to put that dementor into that chest? You do realize that the ministry _will_ be wondering about this, right?"

January 13th, Thursday

Diana strolled into the Slytherin's dorm after another private lesson with Lupin to see that the gang had stayed up to wait for her. "How did it go? Ginny asked curiously as she sat down next to Draco on the couch while everyone leaned in to hear her. Diana simply shrugged. "Its a simple game of patients. I told him a little bit about my parents but I never mentioned their names. I got him this time to talk about his childhood, about how he met Greyback before he clammed shut again."

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

 _What was that idiot doing? Sending me a Floo call while drunk in the middle of the night?_ Severus hissed to himself as he quickly strolled through the dark and empty corridors, looking very much like a bat with his flapping cloak. He kept walking until he reached Lupin's private quarters and the portrait portal immediately opened, catching the potion master off guard. He noticed the lamp and fireplace were a lit but no movement. He cautiously stepped inside and the portait swung shut behind him. "Lupin?" He asked silkily as he stepped closer to the lit area and thats when he noticed the professor almost passed out in the armchair with empty bottles of firewhiskey around him.

Severus silently cursed his luck as he assessed the situation, noticing that the other was staring silently into the fire as if he never noticed Severus was standing there. He sighed heavily as he whipped out his wand and flourished it around, making the empty bottles disappear. Even this didn't even catch the man off guard. A silent drunk Lupin always creeped him out. "Lupin." He said in a soft commanding voice as he shook the guy's shoulder with one hand. "Come on, lets get you to bed. I don't have all night." He said. To his surprise, Lupin rose to his feet with no complaints and proceeded to take a step all to start creening forward if Severu wasn't there to support him.

Severus grunted as he struggled to walked with professor towards his sleeping chamber, cursing loudly at those unsupportive legs of his. He finally reached the man's bedroom and used his remaining stength to hoist him onto his bed. He didn't even bother to cover the man as he turned around to leave, cursing loudly at the nearly-passed out man. "Y-You bastard, F-Fenrir...Dumble...dore said you n-never loved me. All of it...wasn't real. Y-You were just using your...pheromones to...seduce me." Lupin mumbled drunkenly as he struggled to stay awake, a single tear escaping from his lid as the light from the fire reflected off the droplet.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

[A/N: WOW 133 favorites and 178 subscribers~! I'm glad that so many of you like it! To those who just subscribed to my story or 'favorite' my story, thank you all in the bottom of my heart! I'm glad that so many of you are still following me even though things in the story are progressing slowly. I have taken direct quotes from the movie and books, so credits to JK Rowling. As usual, the foreign languages in this story are translated from Google Translate so, please let me know if something seems off. If any of you have a fanfiction request, hit me up on PM! As always, please, comment, subscribe and favorite my story and stay tuned for the next chapter~!]

 _I_ =Italian _M_ =Morse Code _C_ =Czech _P_ =Parsel Tongue _F_ =French _R_ =Russian

Chapter 15

January 15th, Saturday

"Slytherin! Slytherin! Slytherin!" The spectators could be heard shouting. **"Oh my, looks like the crowd has already decided who the winner will be! But folks, we have a long way to go!"** The commentator shouted over the cheering. **"Will you look at Ivanov go! She is really tearing through the sky with that new Firebolt!"** He shouted as Diana ripped through the snow-covered arena looking for the golden snitch with the Hufflepuff seeker right behind her. **"And Slytherins scored again! 250 to 150!"** _Damn this guy is really persistent._ Diana hissed to herself as she kept flying around before she saw the fluttering snitch a few yards away. She shot after it with the Hufflepuff seeker after her, hearing the spectators cheering loudly, urging her to keep going.

She got closer and closer until she could almost feel the tiny wings against her fingertips. _Yes!_ **"Ivanov has caught the golden snitch! That makes 350 to Slytherins and 150 to Hufflepuff!"**

February 3rd, Thursday

"Thanks," Diana said as she took the offered bottle of butterbeer while Lupin sat in his desk chair with his own bottle of butterbeer in hand. "You deserve a break since you are progressing faster then I thought," Lupin said with a smile as he took a sip of his drink. They were silent for a bit before Diana asked a question. "Professor? I keep on hearing about the Dementor's Kiss, What is it exactly?" She asked curiously. Lupin didn't look bothered by the question as he took a deep breath while leaning back in his chair. "Well, the Dementor's Kiss is only used by the Ministry, so you wouldn't really know much about it. It is used as a form of punishment for those convicted to Azkaban for heinous crimes. A death sentence really. The Ministry orders the kiss in which their soul gets sucked out from their body." Diana couldn't resist raising an eyebrow as he continued to explain.

"You can exist without your soul, you know, as long as your brain and heart are still working. But you'll have no sense of self anymore, no memory, no...anything. There is no chance at all of recovery. You'll just - exist. As an empty shell. And your sou is gone forever...lost." Lupin said, his voice getting softer as he finished before forcing a soft smile. "Nasty stuff, isn't it?"

February 5th, Saturday

"Girls, wake up!" The Slytherin prefect girl was responded with groggy groans from within the dark warm girls' dorm. Getting impatient, the prefect girl used her wand to light up the room, causing the girls to cry out at the sudden brightness. One by one, the girls forced themselves to sit up in their bed. "What has happened _now_?" Pansy groaned out. "Black has attacked the Gryffindor dorm. Dumbledore wants everyone in the Great Hall right away." More groans could be heard as they climbed out of their warm beds, their feets landing on the cold floor. Diana couldn't help the smirk from appearing on her lips as she moved with the rest of the girls to move into the common room.

"Did you get any details, Severus?" Diana asked the potions master. "Black seems to have made Weasley his new toy because he made the boy pee his pants from fright," Severus said in a drawl, his eyes filled with utter amusement. The common room erupted in laughter until Severus quieted them down. "Alright, quiet down. All of you. We need to head up to the Great Hall." The Slytherin house followed their Head of House unto the Great Hall where the other houses were meeting. They started snickering and giving side looks when they realized Weasley was there. The redhead must have realized something had leaked and his face turned bright red with embarrassment.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

Lupin strolled through the dark corridor, with his wand lighting the way. He was doing his job as a professor to make sure Black wasn't in the castle to ensure that his students will remain safe. _Sirius Black..._ He thought, his mind imagining one of his best friends from his school days. _Why are you attacking the school, Sirius? There is nothing here important to you._ He thought, turning the corner without must thought. "Well, well. I never thought I would see you here, Remus." A familiar voice rang out from behind him. He quickly whipped around and took two steps back, his heart hammering loudly in his chest as his wand illuminating Black's grinning face.

"Sirius?! What the fuck-!" Remus stopped mid-sentence when he realized he was talking rather loudly and anyone passing by could hear. He grabbed on to Black's collar as he dragged him into an alcove that would give them enough privacy at the moment. He still had priorities as a professor of Hogwarts but it still doesn't mean he didn't care for his oldest friend. "What the fuck are you still doing here?" He asked the moment he shoved his friend against the wall. "Shouldn't you be running away from here? The castle is practically searching for you as we speak-" A scent wafted into his sensitive nose, a scent that he hadn't smelt it ever again.

He quickly staggered back, his eyes wide at his friend. "That smell...why do you smell like him? Is he...is he here? In the castle?!"

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Took you bloody long enough." Greyback snarled from the shadows of the trees as Black strolled to him. Sirius rolled his eyes. "Relax, idiot. I walked into Remus and I had to take a while for me to get out of the situation." Greyback cursed out loud. What he wouldn't do to be the one who Remus would walk into tonight instead of it being Black. "Relax, I haven't mentioned anything to him and he hasn't said of anything valuable to me." He said while rolling his head like he had been saying the same lines numerous times already. "If you want any more assistance, you're going to have to get it from Snape. Tom doesn't want me to risk coming here to Hogwarts again now that Dumbledore's attention has been heightened.

February 8th, Tuesday

Hogwarts was still on high alert, the goblins still at their posts guarding all the entrances. Many of the houses, except for the Slytherins, were freaking out at every single shadow that they came across in passing. The only time the castle really relaxed was during meals. The Great Hall was boisterous as always as the students ate their breakfast, the sun barely lighting up the chilly winter sky. The air was disturbed by soft hoots of owls and flapping of their wings. The owl posts have arrived. All were ordinary as ever. All except for one carrying a bright red envelope. Ginny nudged Diana with her arm, catching the rest of the gangs' attention. "Watch this." She said with utter glee.

 **"Ronald Bilius Weasley! How dare you disgrace this family again! I told you to be careful with that Sirius Black running around and look what happened! I had to hear from your Head of House that you left passwords laying around and nearly endangered the rest of your house! I better not hear about this happening ever again, young man! Your sister and brothers have never done something so humiliating!"**

February 12th, Saturday

"Oh, hello dearies." Madame Rosmerta called out to the gang with tankards in hand as they entered the popular _Three Broomsticks._ "Go ahead and make yourself at home. I'll be with you in a little bit." Diana shook her head and smiled politely. "There's no need for that, Madame Rosmerta. We will need one of your private rooms." The pub owner looked slightly shocked but gave them one of the rooms as requested. "Let me know if you kids need anything." She said before she closed the door shut with a soft snap. "Come out, Greyback," Diana said to the air as she motioned for everyone to sit down. A black mist seemed to form from mid-air before it formed into a human being.

"My lady," Greyback said as he got down on one knee in front of her in respect. "You better have a good reason for calling me out here, Fenrir." She said with no malice behind her voice. Fenrir didn't stand up, keeping his eyes looking down at his boot cladded feet. "I have a request from you. my lady." Diana silently raised an eyebrow. "And why should I acknowledge this request?" The gang silently sturred behind her. This time, Greyback looked up from his feet at Diana. "Because what happens after, will bring you one step closer to destroying Dumbledore's reputation."

"That is a rather high promise to make, Greyback," Blaise said, his eyes looking unemotionally at the man. The werewolf's eyes didn't waver from Diana's. "I will take that chance." That's why he was considered one of her father's best. "That depends on what you're request is," Draco stated in a manner-of-fact tone. Diana was silent for a minute, carefully looking at the werewolf's face. "Very well, I'll listen. Theo?" She said with looking over her shoulder. Theo silently nodded his head and walked over to the door. He briefly peeked his head out before closing the door again and started muttering something mid-breath. Diana felt another magical source connected with her protective shield that she had made the moment they had stepped into the room.

"I need to speak with Remus." The moment was almost too comical. The gang refrained themselves from laughing as they gazed at the man. "Absolutely not. Not so soon after Sirius Black had broken into Hogwarts. Think again." Greyback looked less than pleased at this. "Then find a way. I'm not going to let Remus get played by that old bastard." He growled loudly, causing the floor to vibrate slightly. Draco frowned as he got into a defensive stance. "You didn't just threaten her, wolf."

February 17th, Thursday

The Defense Against the Dark Arts was eerily silent as quills scratched against parchment paper. A quiz was in session. Those who were done were to bring their quiz to the front and place it on the desk. Diana strolled up to Lupin's desk with her completed quiz. It was agonizingly easy. Remus was in the process of grading Hermione's quiz when she placed her quiz on top of the formed pile. He looked up to see who it was and noticed it was Diana. He was about to smile when he noticed a necklace dangling from her neck. Diana noticed his complexion grew pale within seconds. _Greyback was right. Lupin could never forget the necklace he gave him on their last anniversary._

The image of the necklace was burned in his retinas as Diana returned back to her seat.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

The bell rang and the class packed their stuff up before leaving to their next class. "Stay behind, Miss Ivanov. I need to have a word with you." Diana nodded as she continued to pack her things. The rest of the gang silently left the classroom to wait for her outside the door. The classroom is finally left with those two. "You wanted to talk with me, Professor?" Diana asked as she walked to his desk. Remus leaned back in his desk chair, silently looking up at her before leaning forward. "May I?" He asked softly as he raised his hand up towards the necklace around her neck. "Sure, professor," Diana said, letting his hand take a hold of the shark tooth pendant as she stood still.

Remus' breath became slightly ragged as he took in the pendant, his eyes getting slightly watery. "How did you procure this?" He asked in a whisper. Diana shrugged her shoulder. "I got it from a family friend. Why do you ask, professor?" Remus seemed to freeze at the question and quickly drew his hand away from the necklace. "Nothing to worry about. Better get to your next class, Miss Ivanov, or else your Head of House will be after my head."

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

 ** _"_** ** _Je sais qu'il est ici." (F)_** (I know that he is here.) Severus heard Lupin said in a hushed voice as the man sat next to him at the staff table. No one in the room paid much attention as they scrounged down dinner. The potions master wasn't fazed by his words since Diana warned him beforehand. **_"_** ** _Excellent. Je commençais à penser que tu es aussi simple d'esprit que Black." (F)_** (Excellent. I was beginning to think that you are just as simple-minded as Black.) Severus drawled in an equally quiet voice as he cut into his piece of ham. **_"_** ** _Ne joue pas avec moi, Snape. Tu ferais mieux de commencer à parler ou sinon je te déchirerai membre par membre." (F)_** (Don't play with me, Snape. Better start talking or else I will tear you limb for limb.) Lupin nearly growled as his eyes briefly flashed yellow, something he discovered that he did days before the full moon.

Severus rolled his eyes. _Always one for dramatics._ He thought. **_"_** ** _Bien, puisque vous savez qu'il est ici, pouvez-vous penser à une raison pour laquelle il viendrait même ici?" (F)_** (Fine, since you know that he is here, can you think of any reason why he would even come here?) He asked neither of them still not bringing any attention to them. **_"_** ** _Quoi d'autre que de recruter plus d'enfants dans sa ligue d'enfants lunaires. Et le plus susceptible de me narguer un peu plus avec sa présence." (F)_** (What else but to recruit more children to his league of moon children. And most likely to taunt me some more with his presence.) Lupin said straight away like it was the only possible answer.

Severus flashed the guy an annoyed look. **_"_** ** _Tu es vraiment un idiot, n'est-ce pas? Pense! Pourquoi serait-il constamment vous narguer? Ou bien votre cerveau est-il trop corrompu par Dumbledore?" (F)_** (You really are an idiot, aren't you? Think! Why else would he constantly taunt you? Or is your brain too corrupt from Dumbledore?) The two acted as though there was no one else in the room, but they remained talking to each other in hushed voices. **_"_** ** _Ne me condescends pas, Severus!" (F)_** (Don't patronize me, Severus!) Lupin snarled, baring his teeth and rather pronounced canine teeth, another feature to show up days before the full moon.

 ** _"_** ** _Dumbledore m'a montré ce qui se passait vraiment. Ce n'est pas mon-" (F)_** (Dumbledore showed me what was truly going on. It's not my-) Lupin was cut off when everybody stood up to leave the Great Hall to get back to their house common rooms. The men briefly looked at each, clearly snowing that their discussion wasn't over yet. They quickly sneaked out of the Great Hall with one of the doors, before the rest of the staff noticed, into an empty side corridor. They swiftly entered an abandoned classroom. Severus swiftly pulled up a protective charm at the door so no one could listen on their conversation. "It's not my fault that you refuse to see things the way they are," Lupin said, picking their conversation back up from where they left off.

"Me? You should be saying that to yourself! I'm not the one who decided to leave his loved one behind without a damn word!" Severus shouted. Lupin let out a harsh, cold laugh. "Please. I was making his life easier when I decided to leave without a word. Isn't that what he wanted? I'm sure of it since he was making me think that we were meant for each other." The potions master wanted to strangle the guy. "If you haven't realized, Greyback isn't _that_ sophisticated enough to form this elaborate of a plan. If you were just a plaything to him, he would have long since moved on to someone else. But yet, he remains to do just that." Lupin didn't say anything as he crossed his arms across his chest. "He truly loves you."

February 18th, Friday

"My apologies, Albus, but I insist you allow me to post some of my best around the perimeters of the castle. Only until we are sure Greyback won't hurt any of your students." Shacklebolt said in a deep voice as Dumbledore sat back in his chair, rubbing his forehead as he felt a headache coming. "We have been receiving word that Greyback has come to the school with an objective in mind." The auror continued. "An objective?" McGonagall asked wearily. "We don't know the details but we suspect it is about a professor." All the professors present looked at each other with obvious fear, to think that one of them was being sought out by an infamous Death Eater.

"One of us? Who? Who could it be, Kingsley? Why?" Professor Sprout asked in a small voice as she gripped her robes, her hand over her heart. Kingsley shook his head. "I assure you. I will figure this out." McGonagall gave a curt nod. "See that you do, Kingsley, enough blood has been spilled in our world. There is no need to add another." The rest of the professors left the headmaster office, leaving the remaining men alone. The head auror cautiously looked at Dumbledore before speaking. "Albus. do you know if Greyback has a mate or not?" He asked. Albus frowned at this question. He didn't like that this man was meddling at his school.

"None that I heard of. Not even during his time here as a student. Why are you asking this, Kingsley?" Shacklebolt leaned in close to the desk as if he didn't want any outsiders to hear. "The strange thing is that Greyback hasn't left a trail of carnage behind him. Not even a single drop of death was remotely close to Hogwarts. What kind of werewolf does that?"

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Put an attack on this area," Tom said as he circled an area of streets on a map of Diagon Alley with his pointer finger. "Yes, my lord." Lord Parkinson said as he bowed lowly towards him before leaving the office. **_"Tom." (P)_** A familiar voice hissed out. He pulled his eyes away from the map to see Salazar Slytherin had occupied the empty painting with his name on it in the Ivanov manor. **_"Gret grandfather." (P)_** He said with a curt voice as he proceeded to roll up the map and stored in a safe area. **_"What can I do for you?" (P)_** The Dark Lord asked. **_A man named Shacklebolt is in Dumbledore's office right now. He is asking questions about Greyback." (P)_** Slytherin drawled as he sat down in the chair that was in the painting.

 ** _"Let me guess. The old man is denying the fact that he knows everything." (P)_** Tom says with a cold snort. Salazar nods before standing up again to leave. **_"I need to get back or else Dumbledore will notice that I am gone." (P)_**

March 1st, Tuesday

 ** _"_** ** _Êtes-vous sûr que cela fonctionnera?" (F)_** (Are you sure this will work?) Dian asked as she and Severus stood outside of the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's private chambers. "We can't daddle too long. I'm sure you know what is tonight, correct? We must do this before then." The potions master said. Of course, Diana knew what tonight was. It was another full moon. "I intentionally didn't give Lupin his dose of wolfsbane potion. His transformation is guaranteed." Dianda nodded at his words. "Perfect." She silently motioned for the man to knock on the door. "You have the potions I gave you, right?" She silently nods. They waited for a few minutes before the door opened and Lupin popped his head out.

He looked surprised to see them. "Severus...Miss. Ivanov. What are you two doing here?" The potions master cleared his throat, bring the other man's attention to his. "May we come in, Remus? We have something to discuss with you." Lupin looked nervous as he glanced down at the wristwatch he was wearing. "My apologize, Severus, but I will be busy tonight. Perhaps another day?" He said, already moving to close the door before getting any answers. "We have your potion, professor," Diana said in a rush, anything to get the man to let them in. The two men looked at her, one looked shocked while the other looked slightly relieved.

"Really? I don't know if it will be of any use now but...come in anyway." Lupin said, stepping aside to let the two inside. "Thank you, professor," Diana said as she stepped inside after Severus. All the curtains in the private area have been drawn open, the fireplace cold. "You said you have my potion? Where is it?" Remus said as he closed the portrait portal to his private chambers. Severus opened his mouth to speak but Diana beat him to it. "I lied, professor. We don't have your potion." She said in a matter-of-fact tone. Rather than be angry as expected, he noticeably nervous as looked down at his wristwatch. _Its almost time._ Diana thought.

"Then you have no reason to be here. I suggest you both leave. Hurry." The professor said in a rush like he didn't want to be there anymore then he needed to. "Wait, professor. There is a reason why I came here. I know your secrets." Diana said quickly, catching Lupin off guard. "H-How...?" Lupin asked before Diana cut him off. "I know Greyback. He works for my father." Diana said, intentionally leaving out her father's name, knowing that the man was smart enough to figure it out. _Greyback only ever had one job his entire life._ Remus thought. He quickly drew out his wand and pointed it at Diana. She raised her hand but she kept calm. "You know you can't hurt me, Lupin. You are my parents' friend. You won't betray them."

She slowly reached for the potion bottle from her robe pocket and pulled it out. "I will show you that I'm telling you the truth." She uncorked the vial and drained it all in one shot. Diana shuddered at the vile taste as she felt the potion did its work. She knew because she heard Lupin gasp at her original feature. She quickly grabbed another potion vial that would reverse back to her changing form. "Now do you believe me?" She asked. Lupin looked like he was about to respond when he froze before his face contorted in pain just as the grey clouds in the night sky split to reveal a bright full moon. _"Its time."_ Her thought was interrupted when an animalistic howl erupted from Remus' mouth as alarmingly loud sounds of joints popping and bones breaking.

Diana watched as the man before her change from a man to a beast. The calm of the castle was interrupted with a loud guttural roar as the last shred of human skin fell to the floor. "Holy shit..." Diana said in a hushed voice over the whimpering as she caught sight of the hairless, grey-skinned creature. Severus looked paler than usual. It must have been years since he last saw this form of the other man. "Remus?" He asked in a calm voice as he cautiously took small steps towards the crouched whimpering creature. "Remus?" The potions master called out again when he didn't get a sign of understanding. Suddenly, the creature reared its head back and let out a bone-chilling howl. Diana and Severus froze at the spot.

They were in a difficult situation. As if it realized that he had visitors, the werewolf turned its ugly head towards them, its yellow predatory eyes boring into their eyes as it's sharp teeth bared to them with a threatening growl filled the room. Diana heard Severus curse. "We need to get out of here," Severus said in a hushed voice as they took slow steps back just as the creature slowly stalk towards them. "Remus doesn't remember us in this state. When I say 'run', you run out of here, understand?" Diana barely moved her head to acknowledge his words, but the potions master noticed. Seconds ticked by felt like an eternity as they tried to maintain a distance between them and the beast. "Run!" Severus shouted.

Adrenaline jumped into high gear as Diana dashed out the room. Her heart nearly went into overtime when she heard an animalistic roar and heavy thumps of paws with sharp claws scraping against the stone floor behind her. She bolted through the door with Severus right behind her. "Where the fuck are we supposed to go, Severus!?" She yelled over her shoulder, not bothering to look to see if the werewolf was following them, which she knew it was since creatures like a werewolf don't usually get swayed easily from the target. "Turn now!" Severus shouted, sounding just as stressed about the situation as she was. They swerved into the only direction available and ran into a narrow corridor.

The turn caused them to slow down to avoid colliding with each other, causing the raging creature chasing them, to catch up to them with a single lunge. Without even thinking, Diana pulled out her wand from her pocket and started spinning around to confront the creature. She knew a spell strong enough to knock the werewolf unconscious but would it be enough in such a tiny space of time? The spell was on the tip of her tongue as she pointed her wand on the werewolf when Severus tackled her to the floor only to have a small square of the floor disappeared to reveal a chute. The two fell through and the small square disappeared once again to look normal again.

Outside of the castle, a small square suddenly appeared on one of the walls, and two cloaked forms tumbled out of the chute to the cold hard ground. "Damn it, Severus! I had him!" Diana said with a huff as she stood up, shooting glares at the potions master while dusting herself off from invisible dirt. Severus rolled her eyes. "No you didn't, Diana. If I hadn't got us both out of there, the walls would have been coated with our blood." Diana wasn't about to let that go and was about to say something when a beastly roar erupted from within the castle., sounding slightly muffled from the walls. "We have to get him out of the castle. Severus-"

A bone-chilling howl erupted from behind them. They whipped around, their wands drawn at the ready. "Fuck you, Greyback." Diana hissed when a familiar black werewolf emerged from the shadows of the trees. The creature let out puffs of air as if he was laughing. "Yeah, keep laughing, you stupid mutt, and we'll see who's laughing later." Severus snarled. Greyback pulled back his chomps, a low rumble of a growl could be heard. "Easy, both of-" Diana was cut off when Lupin suddenly leaped from the second-floor open corridor and landed inches away from her and Severus. Rather than going after them again, Lupin had turned his attention to Greyback, his nearly non-existent fur brustled up at the sight of another werewolf, let alone the alpha.

The two creatures snarled at each other, neither giving up until Remus took the plunge, leaping at Greyback. Jaws snapping ferociously, claws scratching at each other as the two attacked each other. Severus pulled Diana away from their path as they moved their battle towards the Forbidden Forest, their snarls getting fainter.

March 2nd, Wednesday

Pained animalistic snarls echoed through the dense Forbidden Forest as the last of the full moon slowly disappeared with the night sky. The snarls turned more human as the werewolf painfully turned back to his human form, staggering around like he was drunk. Lupin clung weakly to a tree, his clothes shredded from the transformation and his body riddled with thin scratches. "Remus..." He immediately stiffened when he heard that dreaded familiar voice. His inner creature screamed at him to turn around to face the familiar presence. _Remus..._ Remus practically winced when he heard that same voice, now in his head along with the same nagging pulling sensation that never seemed to go away.

"Stop getting into my head!" He ended up shouting when he couldn't take the constant mental voice calling to him, his voice echoed in the vast Forbidden Forest. "Then look at me, Remus. I deserve that much since you disappeared on me all those years ago!" Greyback shouted in the end, mentally willing his lover and mate to look back at him. His wishes seemed to be answered as Remus slowly turned around to face him. Greyback felt the breath get knocked out of him like he was punched in the gut when their eyes finally met. _Its been too many years._ He thought. They both were silent, neither wanted to be the first to break the rather thick ice that formed between them.

"Why Remus? Why did you leave?" The alpha asked, unable to handle the silence anymore. Remus scoffed, getting restless from those intense pair of eyes looking at him. "You know damn well why I left. Don't act dumb now, Greyback." The alpha didn't flinch when his mate used his last name to address him as his eyebrows knitted together. "I'm not the stupid one here, Remus. I'm not the one who is ignoring the natural call of a mate." Lupin cursed mid-breath as he began pacing, shaking hands ran through his brown hair. The alpha took advantages of this and stepped closer to him. "What did that old fucker tell you, Remus? What the hell did he show to make you run away like a scared chicken?!"

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

The portrait portal into the Slytherin common room swung open and Diana stepped inside with Severus close behind her. "You had us worried when you both didn't come back after an hour," Draco said as he and the rest of the gang walked up to them. Diana was the one who explained to them what happened. They believed her but many had puzzled looks on their faces. "None of us heard anything." They both frowned at this. There was no way no one heard that howling. "Are you sure? You heard _nothing_ during the time we were gone? Not even a werewolf howling at the bloody moon?" Severus asked. The others nodded their heads, giving each other side looks to confirm. The others nodded their heads.

 ** _"Togda vokrug obshchey komnaty dolzhen byt' magicheskiy bar'yer. Bar'yer, kotoryy pokryvayet zvuki izvne." (R)_** (Then there must be a magical barrier around the common room. A barrier that covers the sounds from outside.) Diana said. **_"_** ** _Questo è completamente spericolato." (I)_** (That is completely reckless.) Blaise mumbled as he placed an arm around Ginny's shoulder. Diana sighed before speaking. **_"Khorosho, nam nuzhno pereyti k sleduyushchemu etapu nashego plana. YA soobshchu tebe utrom. Mne nuzhno pogovorit' s moim ottsom nemedlenno. V odinochestve." (R)_** (Alright, we need to go into the next phase of our plan. I'll inform you in the morning. I need to speak to my father immediately. Alone.)

The rest of the gang bowed their head in agreement before splitting off to their respective dorms. She gave Severus a small motion with her hand and he used his wand to cast a quick detecting spell to make sure no one was listening in. "Everything is ok." He said. Diana nodded and grabbed a pinch of Floo powder out of the small bowl on the mantle before tossing it into the lit fireplace. The flames turned a familiar green and she stuck her head into the flame as she shouted 'Ivanov Estate!" Diana felt a shimmer affect around her body as she saw parlor room of the Ivanov estate. A loud crack could be heard and Scab appeared in front of her.

"Young mistress Diana! What can Scab do for Young Mistress?" It squeaked. "Is my father in?" She asked. The house elf nodded with its ears flopping with each movement. "Bring him here. I need to speak to him." The house elf bowed low before disappearing with another loud crack. She only had to wait for less than a minute before the house elf appeared again with the Dark Lord this time. **_"Diana? What is it?"_** Tom asked with a slightly concerned look on his face. **_"Is Lupin and Greyback there at the mansion?"_** She asked. The scowl on his face says everything. "Yeah and I'm already regretting inviting them here for the night." Diana raised an eyebrow in a silent question. Tom noticed and huffed in annoyance.

 ** _"They aren't exactly doing a great job in hiding what they are doing."_** Diana snickers at his obvious situation, causing the man to send her a mocking glare. _**"You and your future boyfriend better not be like this."**_ She almost choked on herself at his words, her face flushed as she sputtered. **_"Ok, Dad! Too much information!"_** Tom snickers in delight as his daughter sent him mocking glares as well before she settled down. **_"Did Remus say anything to you about what happened?"_** She asked. The Dark Lord shook his head as he looked up to the ceiling as if he was trying to look through the structure. **_"No. The moment they got here, they went straight to the guest room."_**

Diana nodded at that fact. **_"Alright. Can you owl me know what informations you gathered?"_** She asked and received a nod from the man. The Dark Lord had a soft smile on his lips, glad that he had the opportunity to see his daughter's face after a couple of months. **_"Go sleep, Princess. Make sure you keep your head down. Relay that message to the others."_**

March 3rd, Thursday

"So good of you two to finally come out of your room." Tom's voice rang out when Greyback and Remus stepped into the dining room. Greyback didn't look the slightest bit ashamed while his partner was red as a beet, causing the Dar Lord to scowl. "Sit." He said in a commanding tone. The two sat next to each other at the large dining table and no words were exchanged as Scab appeared out of thin air with plates of food for the couple. Rather then asking questions right away, he let the couple start their breakfast for a bit before asking. "Care to explain why you left us all those years ago, Remus?" He asked, calmly sipping on a cup of coffee.

The couple stopped eating to give their lord their undivided attention. "Its complicated, my Lord." Remus said, his hand that was on the table began fidgeting with his napkin but was stopped when Greyback gently placed his large hand on top of his. This movement gave the smaller man some courage and he turned his attention back to Tom. "Its true that I talked with Dumbledore the day before I disappeared and it wasn't because I was having second thoughts." He said the last part towards Greyback but for the Dark Lord to know as well. "Then what was the reason for you to see the old man?" Tom asked. Remus took a moment before answering, visibly biting on his lower lip.

"Dumbledore said he wanted to talk to me. We were meeting in his office at the school. My memory...is foggy after that but the next thing I remember, I was walking down the hallway in the Riddle mansion and I saw Fenrir. Images were flashing through my mind and I-I got angry at him." Tom looked carefully at him as he tried to assess the new information. "And since then, you have yet to remember what happened between the time you were in Dumbledore's office and the hallway?" Remus nodded his head in confirmation. _Interesting._ He thought as he leaned forward in his chair. "Look into my eyes, Remus. I want to test something."

Lupin didn't even question the order and he as he was told. Brown eyes looked deep into red eyes. Not even a single movement could be seen as the two were silent. So silent that Greyback was getting impatient and stirred a little in his seat. Tom blinked and broke eye contact with Remus. "Figures. That explains a whole lot." Remus blinked rapidly as if he was in a trance before looking curiously at the Dark Lord. "What did you see, my Lord." Greyback asked, his hand immediately seeked solace with Remus'. "Turns out Dumbledore has been playing mind tricks with you two. He has implanted a false memory in Remus which explains the sudden change."

The two werewolves start growling but Greyback was the loudest as they flashed their teeth. "He also must have gave Remus a potion that repressed the way his brain registered the call of his mate. It is a very old potion and Severus is the only person who would know about this." Everything makes since now.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

A cloaked person sauntered into the back corner of the _Three Broomsticks_ and sat down in one of the chairs, the head tilted down as people to make sure no one could see their facial features. Rosmerta walked over to the table to see what they wanted to order but a hand shot out to motion for her to stop. The woman scowled, mumbled about how rude they were before moving her attention to the next table. The cloaked figure sat in that same position for a few minutes while other patrons of the tavern sent quick glances towards them. The patrons are used to seeing shady people coming in but they always wanted to catch a glimpse of their secret affairs.

The door to _Three Broomsticks_ swung open and a blond haired woman wearing a tweed outfit and a red horn-rimmed glasses came strolling in. If nobody was so emersed in their alcoholic drinks, they would have recognized who this woman was. Rita Skeeter. The infamous reporter for the _Daily Prophet._ The woman glanced over the tavern patrons, looking for someone particular, however, her eyes glanced at a few familiar faces. A topic she could definitely write about. She looked towards the back corner and noticed a cloaked figure sitting at the table. He was here. The secret informant she had just gained this morning. She was about to be told the juiciest news she has ever received throughout her entire career.

Skeeter strolled over to the table, her high heels clacking heavily against the wooden floor as she did so. She sat down on the seat across from the cloaked figure and she took out a fancy quill and notepad from her dragon skin purse. "Alright, you mentioned that have an interesting story to tell me. I don't do business with people I can't see their face." The cloaked figure didn't move for a second before he pulled down the hood covering his face. Skeeter's eyes widened at who was sitting across from her. "Well, well, isn't this a pleasent surprise. I never thought we will be sitting across from each other, Severus." The potions master could barely hold back the sneer from appearing on his face.

"Believe me, Miss. Skeeter, I don't want to be here across from you either." The woman seemingly ignored his snide comment as she opened her notepad to a fresh paper. "Alright, so what information do you have for me?" Severus gave a stiff curt nod and she licked the tip of her fancy quill, making the quill come alive and hover in the air at the ready. "Yes. I have recently gained information that a professor in Hogwarts is actually a werewolf." The woman's eyes widened as her quill zoomed across the notepad, leaving behind words. Severus continued on talking, the quill taking everything down as Skeeter sat there salivating at the thought of how big this news will be.

"Thank you very much, Severus." The woman cooed in appreciation as she put her stuff away in her purse. Severus placed his hood back up and sent a glare towards her. "Miss. Skeeter, I hope you will keep your end of the bargain. My name must remain as anonymous." Skeeter tutted as she stood up. "Yes, yes, of course. I always keep my sources anonymous. You will see the story on the front page of the evening edition."

March 4th, Friday 

The Great Hall was excited as usual but for completely different reasons. Apparently. word of a werewolf teaching at Hogwarts had 'leaked' to the _Daily_ _Prophet_ and now concerned parents swarmed around to collect their child as well as letters from the parents constantly flew in. **_"_** ** _Dumbledore a l'air d'être sur le point de faire sauter un joint."(F)_** (Dumbledore looks like he is about to blow a gasket.) Theo said in a hushed voice and the gang snickered as the doors to the Great Hall opened for what seemed like the millionth time that day. **_"Diana?! Spasibo, Merlin, ty v poryadke!" (R)_** (Diana?! On, thank Merlin you are okay!) Valentina exclaimed dramatically as she and Stepan rushed over to her, covering her in warm hugs and kisses.

As if Dumbledore's day couldn't get any worse, the Malfoys came into the frenzy. Things were about to get even more hectic for the old man.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"I don't like what you are insinuating, Lucius." Dumbledore said with an angry glint in his eyes. The blonde man's eyes narrowed dangerously as he leaned across the headmaster's desk. "Oh you know damn well what I am going on about, old man. Be warned. The board is keeping a close eye on you. Too many concerning events have happened under your supervision that we can not ignore. I suggest you keep your crooked nose under the radar or else you will be without a job faster then you can blink." The two men glared daggers at each other Dumbledore broke the silence with an eerie smile. "Come now, Lucius. You must realize that I had no idea that Professor Lupin was a werewolf. I don't do background checks on my employees."

Lucius' eyes narrowed even more. _This old fool is too confident for his own good._ "Now that, I find hard to believe. You expect the board to believe that _you_ , as the headmaster, didn't notice how one of your staff members disappears every full moon? Every one of us are not gullible fools like you, Dumbledore."

April 16th, Saturday

It has been thirty minutes since the game ended and all the students have gathered in the Great Hall to relax since there were no classes. None of the professors were there so the students were a little bit more free since the prefects didn't pose much threat to them. Most of the chatter were coming from the Slytherin's table. Chattering about how they had slaughtered the Gryffindor team 230 to 20. Never in the history of Hogwarts has the Gryffindor house have lost with that much of a score difference. A lot of praises were going to Diana for her seeker skills but majority have gone to their new chaser, Ginny. "This is freaking stupid." Weasley said loudly across the room with a huff. Everyone in the room stopped talking and turned to look at him.

"Oh come on, they probably rigged their brooms or something." He said when all attentions were on him. "My my, what a sore loser, Weasel." Draco said with a drawl as an eyebrow raised up, causing the Gryffindors to growl in annoyance. "Oh please, I hear this all the time at home," Ginny pipped in, not looking the least bit bothered as she brought everyone's attention to her. "Seriously? That must have been a pain in the ass when you played games with him." Blaise said loudly, going along with the red-haired girl. "Oh terribly so. Remember that time you played chess with him, Fred?" She asked in a loud voice, making sure her twin brothers heard.

The Weasley twins snickered as they were joined by their older brother. "Oh, that was a terrible tantrum, Ronniekin." One of them said in a mocking tone, causing Weasel to turn bright red. "Oi! Whose side are you on?! I'm your brother!" Ginny scoffs as she folded her arms across her chest as she looks at her brother. "Really? All I see is an idiot who has lost too many brain cells to know when to quit and take defeat like a man." The Slytherins guffaws as they proceeded to leave the Great Hall, their laughter trailing after them.

June 17th, Friday

 ** _"_** ** _Qu'est-ce que vous avez tous eu?" (F)_** (What did all of you get?) Daphne asked. It was close to dinner time when the school owls delivered their grades and the gang have taken up a table in the Slytherin's common room. **_"_** ** _Tous les O." (F)_** (All O's.) Diana peeped in and everyone said relatively the same. **_"_** ** _\- ... -..- / ... . ...- . .-. ..- ... / ... .- ... / .- / - . ... ... .- -. . / ..-. .-. - - / -.- - ..- .-. / ..-. .- - ... . .-. .-.-.- / ... . / ... .- -.- ... / - ... .- - / -.- - ..- / -. . . -.. / - - / -.. . ... .. -. -. / .- / - .- .-. -.- / ..-. - .-. / -.- - ..- .-. ... . .-.. ..-. .-.-.- / -. . -..- - / ... -.-. ... - - .-.. / -.- . .- .-. / .. ... / -. - .. -. -. / - - / -... . / ... . -.-. - .. -.-. -..- / ... - / -.- - ..- / .- - -. .-. - / ... .- ...- . / - .. - . .-.-.- / ... . / -.- - ..- / - - / ... .- ...- . / -.- - ..- .-. / ..-. - .-.. .-.. - .- . .-. ... / .-. . .- -.. -.- / -... -.- / - ... . / -... . -. .. -. -. .. -. -. / - ..-. / ..-. .. ..-. - ... / -.- . .- .-. .-.-.-" (M)_** (Oh, Severus has a message from your father. He says that you need to design a mark for yourself. Next school year is going to be hectic, so you won't have time. He you to have your followers ready by the beginning of fifth year.) Diana felt Draco tap against the ring.

 ** _"_** ** _.- .-.. .-. .. -. ... - .-.-.-" (M)_** (Alright.) Without fail, Pansy pulled out a drawing pad and a sketch pencil out from her robe pocket. Diana silently took her pencil and made a very crude sketch while tapping away on the wooden table. Pansy then took over and drew in more detail. **_"_** ** _-.- - ..- / - . .- -. / ... - - . - ... .. -. -. / .-.. .. -.- . / - ... .. ... ..-.." (M)_** (You mean something like this?) Pansy asked as she turned it to show the rest of the gang. **_"_** ** _Wow ... sembra davvero ... incredibilmente fantastico." (I)_** (Wow...that actually looks...freakishly awesome.) Blaise inquired in awe as he gazed down at the grotesque drawing.

 ** _"_** ** _Mieux bas que le tatouage que votre père a pensé. Je ne vais pas m'en excuser, Diana." (F)_** (Hands down better than the tattoo your father thought of. I'm not going to apologize for it, Diana.) Neville added, No one was going to deny that the tattoo was going to strike more fear then the Dark Lord's design.

June 18th, Saturday

"No fair! I wish I could go to Prague for a month." Pansy pouted as the Hogwarts Express came to a screeching halt in King's Cross station. Diana rolled her eyes as she scoffed, getting ready to get off the train with her trunk. "We aren't going there for vacation, Pans. We are strictly there to make sure the next step of father's plan is ready" Tye gang stood up and filed one by one to leave the train. "Well, at least you will have something happen. I on the other hand, will have nothing to do but hear my annoying brother complain about everything that has happened." Ginny pipped in with a scowl. The gang eventually got off the train and the platform was filled with people.

Before the gang split off, they each promised that they will owl each other since each family will be busy with traveling and such. Diana weaved through the crowd before she found Valentina, Stepan, her father and Christopher. She was bombarded with tight hugs, nearly getting the breath pushed out of her each time. "Chris, how is it every time I see you, you seem to have grown a bit taller?" She asked, causing her brother to give a cheeky smirk. "All part of the plan, Diana." Diana stuck her tongue out at him and the adults chuckled. Normal every day antics.

 ** _"_** ** _Vy, deti, gotovy poyti? U nas vazhnaya vstrecha v Prage." (R)_ **(Are you kids ready to go? We have an important meeting to get to in Prague.) Valentina asked with a motherly smile. Christopher and Diana nodded and the large family left together through the international apparition point. _"S kem budet vstrecha?" (R)_ (Who are we going to have a meeting with?) Diana asked once they have arrived at an upscale wizarding hotel. No one answered her and instead receive a tap on her shoulder from Christopher who was motioning towards a stranded copy of the Czech version of the _Daily Prophet_ that someone left on the floor.

 ** _Zástupci tří magických škol se dnes sejdou na českém ministerstvu magie na mimořádné schůzce. Pro spolupráci bude přidána čtvrtá magická škola?_** ** _(C)_ **(Representatives of three magical school will be gathering today in the Czech Ministry of Magic for an emergency meeting. A fourth magical school will be added for a collaboration?)

 _Koldovstoretz pořádá v Praze dnešní nouzové setkání tří školních Bradavic, Beauxbatonu, Durmstrangu a neslavné školy tvorů. Proč? Říká se, že školy se snaží přivést zpět turnaje Triwizard. Další informace na straně 3. (C)_ (An emergency meeting between the three schools Hogwarts, Beauxbaton, Durmstrang and the infamous school of creatures, Koldovstoretz is being held today in Prague. Why? Rumor has it that the schools are trying to bring back the Triwizard Tournaments. More information on page 3)

June 20th, Monday

"Absolutely preposterous! Misha, you have the gull to sit there and ask of us to add _your_ school to the Triwizard tournament?!" Madame Maxime's voice boomed throughout the debate hall. "Precisely! Our three schools have remained as the only competitors of the Triwizard Tournament! We can not possibly break tradition of seven hundred years just to fit your school in!" Durmstrang's headmaster, Igor Karkaroff shouted, his thick accent very evident as the members of the Ministry of Magic from each country were present to hopefully put their thought into the argument if need be. All three headmasters of the schools are sitting around a large oval table with Misha sitting on the opposite side.

The one with the final decision will fall on Fudge since the tournament will be in his country. Dumbledore had that smile on his face as he raised both of his hands to stop the shouting. "Olympe, Igor, please let us talk this through. Misha, would it be better to petition for a spot in the tournament after the upcoming one?" Dumbledore asked. Misha huffed. "Certainly not. Koldovstoretz will no longer be excluded from such events. I promise you that all of my students are one of the best and the strongest in skill and performance." Karkaroff slammed his hand down on the table. "Everyone in the world knows that your school holds the largest population of magical creatures! Having one of them perform in the tournament will be a huge disadvantage for our champions!" Misha sneers at this.

"You are just sour, Karkaroff, because my student will undoubtedly beat yours in a dual even without using their additional powers." Karkaroff didn't look happy one bit and was about to give her a piece of his mind when Fudge stood up, making all the talking stop. "Ladies and gentlemen," His voice boomed without the need to use magic. "The tournament is meant to unite schools from different countries together for a single event and I plan to honor that today. I have taken careful considerations with your arguments in mind." Though Fudge says this, he really wants to further his allies and definitely increase his popularity.

"I have concluded that Koldovstoretz School of Magic will be included in this upcoming Triwizard tournament! However, we must rethink the three challenges!"


	16. Chapter Sixteen

[A/N: WOW 144 favorites and 188 subscribers~! I'm glad that so many of you like it! To those who just subscribed to my story or 'favorite' my story, thank you all in the bottom of my heart! I'm glad that so many of you are still following me even though things in the story are progressing slowly. I have taken direct quotes from the movie and books, so credits to JK Rowling. As usual, the foreign languages in this story are translated from Google Translate so, please let me know if something seems off. If any of you have a fanfiction request, hit me up on PM! As always, please, comment, subscribe and favorite my story and stay tuned for the next chapter.]

[PS: As I am writing this, I have graduated from college and am now currently juggling through two jobs. One is more important then the other. But fear not, I won't let those tiring times deture me from writing. Just be warned that my chapter updates will be taking a little longer then usual until I can quit my least important job ^_^]

 _I_ =Italian _M_ =Morse Code _P_ =Parsel Tongue _F_ =French _R_ =Russian

Chapter 16

June 30th, Friday

"Ugh, thank Merlin we can stay in the shade." Pansy moaned under the shade of the massive umbrella. The gang had taken over the backyard at the Zabini house. "I know right?" Ginny pipped in from next to Diana. The girls were lounging in the pool chairs with their bikinis on while waiting for the boys to come out from the house. "Gin, who are you looking so hot for, huh?" Daphne asked with a knowing smile on her face while raising her eyebrows up and down. The red-head blushed bright red, causing some to giggle. Not in a bad way though. Ginny was wearing a cute red spaghetti strap high-waisted bikini set that showed enough of her cleavage but not too much that would make others raise their eyebrows.

"N-No one in particular." She said but everyone saw right through her. "Oh please, we saw you checking out Blaise earlier. You wish you were in there right now to watch him change, right?" Pansy smirked with a teasing voice. Ginny shot her a scathing look and proceeded to try to kick her off her lounge chair. "Oi, I'm not a peeping perv like you, Pans! Besides, I have seen you gawk at Neville whenever he comes back from Quidditch practice." The girls laughed as Pansy gave the red-head a feigned surprised look, her hand dramatically placed over her heart. "I'll have you know Gin, I was merely appreciating his body." Ginny coughed and spoke under her breath though she wasn't doing a good job hiding it. "Yeah, more like trying to look through his sweat-soaked clothes."

More laughter could be heard as Pansy proceeded to try to swat at the red-head with the lounge chair pillow. The door to the backyard opened as the boys stepped on to the patio, ready to go for a swim. Diana felt like all the air in her lungs became nonexistent at the moment her eyes were fixated on Draco. "Mmm...don't they look like delicious chocolate?" Ginny disrupted her thoughts with a slightly strained whisper. Diana looked over to see that all the girls, especially Pansy, was almost drooling before they snapped their mouth shut. "To think our Neville looks like that...damn, I should have looked sooner." The brown short-haired girl said. "You okay there, ladies?" Theo asked as the boys stopped in front of them, noticing the flustered looks on their faces.

"Y-Yes, we're fine. The weather is hotter then we thought." Ginny said with a quick smile as she started fanning herself with her hand as if she was emphasizing her point. The boys looked at each other and shrugged before taking a few steps to the waiting. Diana didn't notice that Draco had turned to look over at her briefly before turning his attention back around, a smirk playing with his lips. He noticed she barely made any eye contact with him since he and the boys stepped onto the patio. The boys dove head first into the cool water, causing waves to crash a little bit onto the patio.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Is that a piercing on your lip, Blaise?" Pansy asked curiously as the gang took refuge at a table under the shade of an umbrella after a few hours of playing around in the pool. Indeed, the Italian got a lip piercing over the summer and it suited him well. It was a metal ring on his lower lip close to the corner of his mouth. No one had noticed it until now. The Italian gave them his trademark smirk as he wagged his eyebrows. "It looks good doesn't it? I can't wait to get a tattoo." The others chuckled at his remark. Daphne leaned in to whisper in his ear. "Your new look is making someone _alittle_ thirsty." Blaise pulled away slightly to look at his friend to see what she was talking about.

Daphne made subtle motions towards someone across the table and he looked to see she was referring to Ginny. A smirk played with his lips as she saw the red-head was in her own little world, her eyes to the ground as she subconsciously played with the corner of her lower lip, the exact same spot his piercing was. Blaise noted the blush on her cheeks as her eyes wandered side to side like she was thinking of something intense. "Are you ok, Gin?" He asked her, his voice breaking her thoughts and the moment her eyes met with his, her cheeks turned a even brighter red. Not as red as her hair though. "Y-Yeah. I need to get going. My parents are waiting for me at home."

Her flustered departure was sudden but Blaise couldn't help but chuckle as she gave him a quick peck on the cheek but she could barely look into his eyes before her face erupted into blushes once again.

July 31st, Saturday

Diana looked curiously down at the dagger nestled nicely in a bed of tissue paper outside of _Borgin & Burkes_. **_"_ _Tseremonial'nyy kinzhal?" (R)_** (A ceremonial dagger?) She asked as she looked over towards Stepan. **_"Eto ne prosto tseremonial'nyy kinzhal, printsessa. YA napolnil yego moshchnym zaklinaniyem, kotoroye svedet na net lyuboye zaklinaniye, kotoroye bylo nalozheno na vas, kak tol'ko kinzhal okazhetsya v vashey ruke." (R)_** (It's not just any ceremonial dagger, Princess. I got it infused with a powerful spell that will negate any spell that has been placed on you the moment the dagger is in your hand.) Tom explained as they walked through the busy street.

 ** _"Gde Severus? YA ne slyshal ot nego v techeniye dvukh nedel'." (R)_** (Where is Severus? I haven't heard from him in two weeks.) Diana asked as she saw a copy of last week's morning edition of the _Daily Prophet_ get tramples on by countless pairs of feet. _"Black has fallen off the face of the earth! Aurors are stunned!"_ _ **"Severus otpravilsya v Kitay, chtoby sobrat' ostavshiyesya ingrediyenty dlya zel'ya, kotoroye nam nuzhno prigotovit'." (R)**_ (Severus has gone to China to collect the remaining ingredients for the potion that we need to make.) Tom responded and Diana nodded her head. The ingredients needed for the potion are incredibly rare and none could be found in Wizarding London.

None could be found in the black markets of _Knockturn Alley_ since there has been a strict ban placed in by the Ministry. **_"Khorosho, no yemu nuzhno bystro ikh nayti, inache on propustit srok." (R)_** (Fine but he needs to find them fast or else he will miss the deadline.) She said. The particular potion can only be made under the full moon and it must simmer for a month. **_"Ne bespokoysya Printsessa. On poyavitsya kak zaplanirovano." (R)_** (Don't worry. Princess. He will turn up as planned.)

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

The fireplace burst green and Severus stepped through within seconds into Tom's office, looking worn out. "Ah, Severus. I was beginning to worry that you wouldn't make it in time for the full moon tomorrow." The Dark Lord said lightly. The potion master scowled at the lack of confidence towards him. "I never break a promise, you know that Tom. I best get some rest. I will start on the potion tomorrow night."

August 23rd. Saturday

"Are you sure he will be here, Tom?" Severus asked as he, Lucius and his master walked up to the uninhabited Riddle House. "Of course, Severus. Crouch Jr. wouldn't miss the opportunity to please me if it means using it to stick it up to Bellatrix." Tom said, having no qualms making two of his supposed faithful servants battle it out with each other. He had no care for them like they thought he did. _**"Dad, what is this place?" (P)**_ Diana asked behind the men. Amazingly, there were no muggles walking around to witness the strange way the girl was speaking. _**"Come here, Princess." (P)**_ He said in a soft voice as he stopped walking, turning to look at her as he pulled his hand out for her to take.

She didn't say anything as she placed a small hand into his and they continued on walking towards the dark cherry wood front door. **_"This is where your so-called 'grandfather' lived, Princess." (P)_** He said with disdain in his voice as he opened the door, along squeak could be heard as the door swung open, giving them a good glimpse into the glossy floor. "Lucius?" Tom said and the man drew out his wand from his robe pocket and casted bright light to appear on the tip of his wand. They all stepped inside and closed the door behind them. From what Diana could see, nothing had layers of dust on them. Looked like someone has been taking care of the house after the Riddle family deaths.

"Shall we go upstairs, Tom? We can wait for the two there." Lucius asked. Tom didn't say anything as the group proceeded to go up the stairs, sneering when he saw pictures of his father hanging on the wall. _**"The only thing I should be grateful about is inheriting this squib's good looks." (P)**_ He hissed more towards himself. They finally reached the upper floor and went to the closes room which had a fireplace. "Make up a fire, Severus." He said as he transformed three moth-eaten sofas into two leather wing-back chairs and a small leather sofa. Severus made a fire with the leftover wood that was left behind, giving the room an inviting orange glow.

Severus and Lucius took the leather chairs while the father-daughter duo sat on the couch. Not even ten minutes have passed when the fire burst into green and two uncloaked people stepped out. "My Lord." Crouch Jr. said in a gravely voice as he immediately got down on one knee in front of Tom while Wormtail moved to stand next to the couch. The man was roughly dressed and looked unkempt and Diana noticed that he frequently flicked his tongue to lick the corner of his lip. A tick he developed long ago? "Rise," Tom said in a commanding tone and the newcomer swiftly got back up on his feet, etiquette years spent in Azkaban didn't diminish.

"Has everything been accomplished on your end?" The Dark Lord asked. Crouch Jr. nodded. "Yes my Lord. My father didn't even suspect a thing." Tom nodded with a satisfied smirk on his face. He then turned his attention towards Pettigrew, causing the smaller man to quiver from the scrutinizing red eyes. "Wormtail, I want you to follow Crouch Jr. and help until he accomplishes his end of the plan. Do you understand?" Diana was amused when Wormtail flashed the other man a look before giving a low bow. "Yes, my Lord." He sniveled. The conversation was interrupted when the faintest groan of wooden floorboard could be heard as well as something heavy sliding across it. Nagini had come back from hunting.

 ** _"Did you have a good hunt, Nagini?" (P)_** Diana asked once the creature had slithered into the room and had slid up one of the chair legs of the sofa to curl up on her master's lap. **_"No, young mistress. Bunch of small rates everywhere. Not filling enough." (P)_** Diana couldn't help but smile at how pouty the snake sounded as the snake placed its head onto her lap. **_"Oh, and master, an old muggle is listening to us behind the door." (P)_** Nagini added before hissing in pleasure as two sets of hands gently stroked her head. "Gentlemen, it looks like we have a guest." He said as he turned his head to look at the slightly opened door. He couldn't see the old man but he assumes he was frozen at the sound of being discovered.

"Wormtail, where are your manners? Invite our guest in." Tom said, sounding amused as he slightly berates the smaller man. Nagini lifted her head up to look at her master. **_"May I eat him after you are done, master?" (P)_** Tom smirks as his finger tips lightly scratched her diamond shaped. _**"My apologies, my dear friend. This old man will not be your meal for tonight. I still need him for the ritual." (P)**_

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

The next morning, Little Hangleton learned that Frank Bryce, the Riddle House caretaker had mysteriously vanished last night. Without a trace in sight. Rumor has it that there have been strange activities happening at the home for years. Just like incident regarding the Riddle family all those years ago.

August 25th. Monday

 ** _"_** ** _Merci Merlin, nous ne restons que dans ces tentes ce soir." (F)_** (Thank Merlin we are only staying in these tents for tonight.) Draco said with a sniff as a smell of cats enveloped their noses. The gang and their fathers have arrived at their tents to attend the final match for the Quidditch World Cup. Two tents have been assigned to the party; the adults taking one and the kids taking the other. The news of Ireland going to the finals overtook the _Daily Prophet_ front page for weeks, covering the fact that Koldovstoretz will be joining the committee with Hogwarts, Beauxbaton, and Durmstrang.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

Music and loud cheering could be heard from the packed-to-the-max Quidditch stadium. **_"_** ** _Viens les enfants. Nous devons trouver nos places." (F)_** (Come children. We need to find our seats.) Lucius said as the men walked with the gang towards their seats which was towards the top of the stadium. The rounded the corner and walked into the Weasleys. "Ah, it is nice to see you, Author," Lucius said silkily, glancing down at the other man over his nose. Ginny flashed her friends a smile and a shy one towards Blaise. "Where are you going, Ivanov? I bet your seats are in the middle where everyone is crammed together like a bunch of sardines." Weasley sneered at Diana, earning a smack to the arm from his father.

"Enough, Ronald. I don't want you causing trouble here. Let's leave your sister's friends alone." The Weasley patriarch said in a warning tone as he placed his hand on his youngest son's shoulder to steer him away. "Yes, _do_ keep away from us, _Ronald_. I hope the rain doesn't start raining on you." Draco sneered towards Weasley, causing the red-head to look like he wanted to charge at Draco for his remark. Stepan placed a hand on Diana's shoulder, bringing the rest of the gang's attention to him.

 ** _"Deti, my ne dolzhny teryat' dykhaniye, khvastayas' etim lyudyam." (R)_** (Come children, we mustn't waste out breath bragging to these people.) The gang gave Weasley a sneer before they turned around to leave. They were almost to their seats when they heard Fudge's booming voice over the cheering crowd. "Good evening! As Minister of Magic, it gives me great pleasure to welcome each and every one of you to the final of the four-hundred twenty-second Quidditch World Cup!"

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

Fans of the Irish could go on celebrating for hours with their win against the Bulgarians. The final score was 170-160. The gang's tent was relatively quiet since the boys were sulking, betting that the Bulgarians were going to win. It had fallen dark and the orange glow filled the tent from the campfires outside. Ginny had come to join them once the game was over. "Are you boys going to lay there and sulk all night?" Pansy asked, looking slightly disappointed since she wanted to use the time to be with Neville. "Of course." Theo huffed as he stared daggers up at the tent ceiling. "Krum made me lose the bet." He grumbled. The girls could barely contain their eyes from rolling as the rest of the boys groaned at the reminder.

"I told you not to bet on the Bulgarians," Ginny stated in a matter-of-fact tone, making the boys' sulking worse at her words. Suddenly, a loud explosion could be heard outside and people started screaming, shadows of people running past darted across the tent. "What in the words is going on?" Daphne asked with a frown just as a man screamed in pure terror a little ways away. "Death Eaters are coming! Run for your lives!" Everyone in the tent is on high alert now. Diana knows her father never planned an attack for tonight. Too many people around to successfully launch an attack. The gang was about to stand up to look outside when the Dark Lord popped his head in, his face in a deep scowl.

"Children, you need to run to the closest apparition point. I suspect Dumbledore is behind this. If anyone starts talking to you who aren't associated with us, do not respond and get away as fast as you can." Tom said it so quickly that she barely had time to react when he disappeared back outside. "Father!" Diana shouted and proceeded to step out of the tent to find him when a hand grabbed her arm to stop her. "Don't. If it is Dumbledore's doing, he will most likely pin it on your father and put a bigger target on all of us when we go to Hogwarts." Diana knew what Draco said made the most sense, but she couldn't help but fear for her father' and the urge to help.

"Come on, we need to leave," Blaise said in a calm voice but the gang knew he was getting antsy to get to safety. Without another word, the gang left the tent into the fray of panicking people. Everything was chaotic. Tents were either shredded to pieces or were on fire. Diana caught a glimpse of cloaked figures in obvious Death Eater masks marching through the fray of people, chanting incoherent words before she was dragged by Draco in the same direction as the rest of the people fleeing which was to the apparition point just behind the woods. Draco's hand never let go of hers as they ran into the practically pitch dark forest. They both yelped when they were suddenly yanked behind some trees.

They were about to draw their wands out to face a possible enemy when a wand came lit in front of them. **_"_** ** _Putain Blaise! Avez-vous essayé de vous maudire la tête?!" (F)_** (Fuck, Blaise! Were you trying to get your head cursed off?!) Draco hissed angrily when he realized who grabbed them. **_"_** ** _Chiudilo, Draco. Uno dei presunti Mangiamorte si stava nascondendo dietro gli alberi. Se voi due avevate continuato ad andare, lui avrebbe attaccato." (I)_** (Shut it, Draco. One of the supposed Death Eaters were hiding behind the trees up ahead. If you two had kept going, he would have attacked.) The Italian hissed back, the anxiety of the situation made him spew rapid Italian, none of which was helping the situation.

but they looked worn out none the less. Tom's eyes widened at the sight of his daughter running towards him before he looked slightly angry. He snagged her arm and started pulling her with him. **_"What are you doing here, Princess. I told you to run!" (P)_** The gang popped out from behind the trees and everyone ran towards the same direction as everyone else. Small explosions behind them could be heard. They made it to the other side of the forest to see the remaining people disappear with a port key, leaving the remaining port key left. It was an inconspicuous coffee cup like what muggle use. "The key that we came with is gone. We will have to take the chance and take this last one." Tom said as they all charged towards it.

All hands slapped on to the used coffee cup and they were all whisked away. Diana fell ungracefully on the ground just as she heard everyone fall around here. Grass. She quickly got up with the help of Draco. "Is everyone alright?" She asked as she helped Hermione up. She got soft responses and she was able to catch a quick glimpse of their surroundings. They were just on the outskirts of a large forest which sort of blended into the cloudless night sky. "One of us isn't," Tom said, sounding a little stressed as he knelt on the floor next to Lucius with Severus by his side. "Father!" Draco yelled as he quickly went to his father's side, kneeling down on the cool grass.

The man's face was contorted with pain, his jaw clenched tight to stop from screaming out as he clutched the left side of his chest, obvious blood seeping through his fingers. "I'm fine, Tom. Draco, you better not say any of this to your mother. You know how she gets when any of us get hurt." Everyone simply rolled their eyes. Typical Malfoy behavior. "You are clearly not okay, Lucius. Now, sit still or else I will have to restrain you." Tom said in a tone that left no room for arguments. Lucius relented and Severus used his wand to cut open the blonde's shirt, much to the blonde's discontent for ruining his favorite shirt, to see the extent of his injuries.

Everyone gasped when they saw the rather large slice on his skin that looked like it had nearly cut through his ribs. Severus immediately set to work, whispering something under his breath as he waved his wand over the wand. **_"Gde v mire my, otets?" (R)_** (Where in the world are we, father?) Diana asked in Russian just in case any of Dumbeldore's men or muggles are around as well bring everyone else to the situation since Lucius is well taken care of. **_"Bez ponyatiya. My dolzhny byt' kak minimum v pare minut ot goroda, osobenno yesli eto magglovskiy gorod." (R)_** (No idea. We must be at least a couple of minutes away from a town especially if it's a muggle town.) Tom said.

 ** _"_** ** _Pourquoi vos enfants ne vont-ils pas voir s'il y a une ville à proximité? Nous ne pouvons pas transplaner aveuglément chez nous à moins de savoir où nous sommes." (F)_** (Why don't you children go to see if there is a town nearby? We can't blindly apparate back home unless we know where we are.) Severus suggested as he tended to Lucius' wounds. "Yes, sir." The gang said while Diana simply nodded her head. They took off their robes since they were wearing acceptable muggle-like attire underneath. They left the men and after a little bit of walking through the dark forest by wand light, they came across a road as well as a street sign. They walked up to the sigh and shinned their wands towards the sign to read.

"Ely? That is definitely muggle. There is no information about any wizard establishments there." Pansy commented. The gang was suddenly submerged with bright lights and a police car zoomed by to only stop a couple of feet away. "Shit. The muggle stopped. What are we going to do?" Blaise cursed under his breath as the police car started backing up towards the gang. "Leave the talking to me," Hermione said in a hushed voice just as the police car came to a stop next to them. The front passenger window rolled down and a middle-aged man looked at them with scrutinizing eyes. "What are you kids doing out here? Do you have any idea what time it is? Where are your parents?" The man asked with a barrage of questions.

The rest of the gang refrained from raising their eyebrows as Hermione smiled convincingly and tried to veer the man's attention to her. "Good evening, officer. We are just heading back home." She then pulled a sheepish appearance. "I asked my friends to come to accompany me for a short walk. I've been having an awful week and-" Suddenly, the radio crackled and a woman's voice could be heard. The police officer frowned before turning his attention back to the gang. "I'm letting you all off with a warning. Get back home." He said in a firm tone before reaching for something on his dashboard. Loud sirens blare through the night sky as he sped out of the area with blue lights flashing over the car. Hermione scoffs as she started walking back towards the spot they left the adults.

August 27th, Wednesday

Tom strolled into the main library, needing to find a specific book that he required information on. He skirted through the aisles of bookshelves and a table until he found the specific section the book should be in. It wasn't there. He frowned deeply. Who had the book? He turned around to leave the library to ask his children if they have seen that book when he saw the large pile of books on the table. A light smile appeared on his face when he saw the familiar book cover of _Hogwarts: A History_ on top of the pile. He walked over and a pale hand reached out to open the book. A few pages flipped before the pale fingers stopped. A book underneath has caught his attention and the smile disappeared from his face. A book he knew all too well.

A deep furrow in his eyebrows as Tom grabbed a hold of the book and flipped it open. His hand automatically flipped the pages to a particular one. His eyes immediately skipped over the small texts to a particular paragraph. His eyes scanned over the words, expecting to read the same information he got all those years ago from the same book. All was the same until he hit halfway through the paragraph. His eyes quickly blazed in anger and confusion, the hand holding the book shaking with fury.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Diana, you just got lucky with that, you cheater!" Draco shouted with annoyance as Diana turn out of a feigning trick she learned from the World Cup. She snickered and stuck her tongue out at the blonde male. "You sore loser. Let's go again." She said and both of them were about to go again when a window on the third floor of the Ivanov mansion suddenly exploded. It was the library. The two frowned with concern as they looked at each other before they flew down towards the ground and touch down quickly. "What happened, Scab?" Diana asked the house elf quickly as she and Draco stepped inside the mansion. The house elf looked worried as she kept up with her young mistress. "Scab don't know, young mistress. All Scab know is that Master Tom is in there."

Diana frowned even more and told the house elf to get everyone, floo call if it had to, as she and Draco rushed up the two large flights of stairs to get to the third floor. Her heart hammered as they finally arrived at the library. She opened the door without even knocking and saw her father's dark form sitting in a winged-back armchair, torn up paper from books loitered the french rug. "Father? What happened here? Is everything alright?" She asked calmly but worried as she stepped inside the library. Her body shivered as her father looked over at her with cold eyes before he averted his eyes over to the roaring fireplace. Not soon after, Stepan, Valentina, the gang, Lucius, and Severus came into the library. Their arrival didn't change Tom's behavior.

"Everything," Tom stated in a cold whisper as he stared daggers into the fire. "Everything that book taught me those years ago has all been a lie." He hissed as he dug his nails into the armrest of the chair. Everyone looked at each other, confused. "What do you mean, Tom? What book?" Severus took the moment to ask his irate master. Without even looking at his trusted advisor and friend, Tom silently held out an opened book that Diana recognized as the one she 'borrowed' from the library before she left Hogwarts for the summer. Severus took the book and looked down at the opened page. A frown crossed his face. "Horcruxes, Tom?"

"Read it out loud," Tom instructed and the potions master did as he was told to only slow down at the same spot as the dark lord did. Tom looked over at his friend. "You realized that too, didn't you Severus?"The potions master look more confused then Diana had ever known him. "But Tom, you and I both read from this same book numerous times. There have been no other copies. There is no way we both got the wrong information." Tom let out a cold laugh as he got out of the wing-back chair. his hands stuffed in his pant pockets so he would refrain from punching something out of pure anger. "No, we wouldn't, my dear friend. Not unless we both have been tricked by a certain enemy."

Diana couldn't take the cryptic words anymore. "Hello?! All of us are still here. We all would like an explanation." She snapped impatiently, bringing the two grown men to the crowd still in the library. "During my 6th year at Hogwarts, I learned of this method that would make me immortal," Tom stated as he moved to stand next to the fireplace, everyone else still standing where they were. "The Horcruxes, right?" Diana asked as Draco stood calmly next to her. Tom nodded and motioned towards the book that was still in Severus' hand. "Exactly. All the other books briefly mentioned this, but I wanted to learn more. This is where this book comes into play." He said.

"It says in order for me to reach immortality, I need to split my soul into six pieces." Everybody in the room winced at the mention of splitting one's soul. It sounded incredibly painful. "Each soul fragments need to have a vessel. I chose inanimate objects to house them and hid them well so no one except I could find them. But now," Tom's voice getting more deadly and venomous by the second as he stared at the book. If looks could kill, the book would be turned to a dusty pile by now. "Now, this blasted book is telling me something different. Why is that?" He hissed in a whisper, the roaring fire flaring wildly in the fireplace from the magic surge he was displaying.

No one dared asked if he was positive that the book he read all those years ago was truly written as he said. "Why does it say that in order for me to achieve immortality, I need to have a complete soul? Why does it say that splitting my soul into a piece would make me weaker?" As if Severus had just realized something, he took out his wand to see if any spell was surrounding the book to put him at ease. "Its no use, Severus. There is nothing casted on it. I even had Scab check it over." Not a voice could be heard until Diana spoke up in a whisper. "Dumbledore."

August 29th, Friday

The underground chamber was eerily silent except for the crackling of fire under the bubbling large cauldron. Tonight is the night to begin the ritual. "Are you sure there won't be any serious repercussions to his health?" Tom asked Severus for confirmation. The potions master made a curt nod. "Yes, but I will warn you again. Your strength will diminish by half when you reach your forties. Mingling with body acceleration potions will do that to a body." Heads nodded. "What will we be expecting?" Diana asked as she crossed her arms across her chest, already knowing the question but it was good to hear it again before everything goes down. Severus complied, feeling the nervousness getting high as the time got closer to midnight.

"Christopher, you will be placed in the cauldron after I present the sacrifice. You will be in there for seventy-two hours. I will warn you, you will be in immense pain. Every single cell in your body will be accelerated many times over. By the time Sunday night rolls around, you will have gained the body of a seventeen-year-old." Christopher nodded, nervousness still evident in his eyes. Their conversation got interrupted as a Death Eater quickly came up to them. "My lord, the time has arrived." Tom motioned for Severus to proceed with what he had to do.

"Bring the sacrifice here," Severus called out. Tom motioned for one of the Death Eaters to retrieve the sacrifice. As the Death Eater went to retrieve the sacrifice, Severus added the remaining ingredient. **_"Your friend has taken quite a liking to your brother." (P)_** Diana heard her father said next to her. Her eyes immediately scanned the chamber for that familiar brown hair and saw them standing close to one of the corners where they had a little bit of privacy.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Are you sure you will be alright?" Hermione asked softly as she gazed up into his eyes. A small smile graced his lips, his hand itching to touch her face. "Yeah, I'll be alright. As long as I can see you at the end." Hermione couldn't help but blush. He always did had a way with words. "Son. It is time." Tom's voice interrupted the moment. Christopher nodded silently and turned to look down at Hermione when he felt light, warm kiss on his cheek. His eyes widened once he realized what happened and looked down the brunette to confirm what he felt only to realize that she had high-tailed it out of there with a soft red tint on her cheeks.

"Brother?" Diana's voice caught his attention and noticed everyone at attendance was waiting for him around the bubbling cauldron, their backs to the Death Eaters. "I'm coming." He said as he walked over to stand next to his father just as the Death Eater who was tasked with bringing the sacrifice came back with said sacrifice. It was the old Riddle House caretaker. The old man was wrapped tightly with rope while floating in the air next to the Death Eater. Anticipation level rose as the Death Eater laid the caretaker down on the floor before standing back in line with his fellow Death Eaters. _"Enervate,"_ Severus said and the old man's previously closed eyes fluttered open, confusion at first before fright took over.

"What the hell and I doing here? What do you want from me?" The old man's voice quivered. Tom didn't seem bothered by the questions as he looked down at the old figure, his eyes not menacing. "You are helping a good cause. Furthermore, you will be helping my son achieve a power boost." Severus began chanting once again over the bubbling cauldron, causing the flames underneath to flare brighter. Frank frantically looked over at the flames before looking back up at his captures. "What have I ever done anything to you lot?! I have done nothing!" Tom was silent as he looked thoughtfully at the old man. "True. You have done nothing to anger me. You have served my grandparents well."

Frank's eyes widened when said that. Of course! The resemblance was uncanny! The old man found himself floating up into the air again, his body magically flipped onto his stomach as he was slowly pulled towards the bubbling cauldron. Frank started praying, all hopes of getting out of there alive, just as Severus started chanting once again while pulling out a sheathed dagger from his robe pocket. Frank was never a religious man. Until now, that is. Beads of sweat dripped down his neck as he tried not to look down at his pending doom. Severus swiftly pulled the dagger from its sheath, it's silver blade gleaming brightly from the firelight just as he finished the chant.

Everyone in the room held their breath as the potions master slit the man's throat with the dagger without any warning, not even letting him finish his prayers. The crimson liquid flowed like a river from the mortal cut into the bubbling cauldron, essential to help Christopher age through ancient magic. The sunset orange-colored liquid in the cauldron had now turned a maroon red. A putrid smell immediately, worse than during the revival of the Dark Lord, filled the chamber. Severus left the corpse over the cauldron to drain the last of the blood as he motioned for Christopher to proceed with the next step. He nodded silently and swiftly took off his shirt. Diana noticed Hermione blush slightly next to her at the sight of his well-defined body but said nothing.

"Are you ready, Christopher?" Severus asked as he briefly looked down at his pocket watch. No time now. "Yes," Christopher said with determination. Severus gave a curt nod and pulled out a small vial from his robe pocket. "Drink this. This will start the transformation process. I added some painless potion but to be perfectly honest with you, it won't help you." Christopher scoffs as he took the vial from the older man. "Straight to the point." He took one last look at the ones he loved and trusted, he uncorked the vial and downed the contents down his throat in one go. His body went completely numb the moment it hit his stomach. The vial slipped from his slackened hands and he started going down, feeling the pain already.

Luckily, the grown men around him caught him just in time. Christopher started gasping and groaning in pain as the men carried him to the cauldron with much hesitation from Tom since his 'protective parent' mode started kicking in. Severus gave him an encouraging nod and the men lifted the young man into the bubbling putrid concoction. No one could see through the liquid the moment he disappeared underneath. The time was marked as those loved ones prayed that this potion would work since this is the first time anyone has ever seen it done for almost a hundred years.

August 31st, Sunday

"Diana, will you relax?" Draco asked incredulously as the female stirred nervously at her feet for the hundredth time that hour. "Sorry!" Diana almost shouted in a hushed voice as she forced herself to be still once again. "This hasn't been done in a long time and I'm worried that the potion won't work and will make him all weird!" Draco couldn't help but roll his eyes as he reached out grasp her hand, squeezing it to comfort him. "We will find out soon." He said, his facial features calm but his voice sounded nervous just as she was. It is nearing seventy-two hours and everyone, as well as the Death Eaters, had arrived to see their young master's new look.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. The time has finally arrived and as if on que, thick black smoke started emerging from the top of the liquid and started flowing over the rim of the cauldron like a waterfall. Everyone took step back while the Death Eaters took several, unsure if touching the black smoke would kill them on the spot. "What is going on, Severus? Is this supposed to happen?" Tom asked as he remained on guard as more smoke erupted from the liquid. "I don't know..." The potions master said, his mind traveling miles per minute to see if any of his research mentioned anything about black smoke. The cauldron suddenly cracked to pieces like it was broken from the inside.

Everybody gasped in shock as they scuttled away from the quickly flowing thick maroon liquid. "He is here," Diana said in a whisper as she saw something forming from the pile of broken cauldron pieces. Nervous chattering could be heard as everyone watched a human-like form completely covered in the maroon liquid stood up which started dropping to the floor in chunky globs. Piece by piece fell until Christopher was finally revealed, his eyes closed. The last piece of the liquid fell to the floor and as if it was last thing holding Chris up, his knees buckled. He would have fell face first if his father wasn't there to catch him. "Welcome back, son," Tom said to him as he heard Chris pant heavily, beads of sweat dripping down his skin as though he had been through a rigorous exercise.

Severus had mentioned that he would be weak from being in the liquid for seventy-two hours. "Yeah," Christopher said, his voice had gotten deeper. His tired eyes scanned over the familiar faces. None of them were the ones he wanted to see at the moment despite the fact he loved all of them. A familiar figure stepped up to him from the side. "Chris, how are you feeling?" There she was. He turned to look and his blue eyes met brown ones. "Hermione." He said softly and with whatever strength he had left, he moved his arm from his father's shoulder and took a shaky step towards her. As if all energy had left him, his legs gave out once again and his body fell into hers. "Chris!" Hermione squeaked out as she held on to him while her knees almost buckled, unsure of what to do.

"Chris!" Everyone exclaimed with worry as they rushed over to see what was wrong when they heard the light sounds of snoring. He couldn't fall asleep until he saw her face. He now had a body of a seventeen year old.

September 1st, Monday

"Are you sure, you will be okay traveling?" Diana asked. worried that her brother was still too tired to be traveling to Koldovstoretz for the new school year. Chris rolled his eyes as he stuffed his hands into his jacket pocket. All the adults left their kids with him since they were worried about their kids doing mischievous things. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Now, will you please stop worrying about me? The same goes for you, Hermione." The brunette flushed bright red at being called out by him and all words were drowned out as the train blew the warning whistle. "Alright, you guys, get on board." Everyone said their final goodbyes with him and they proceeded to board the train. "See you guys really soon." He said with a knowing smirk as they looked at him curiously.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

Thunder could barely be heard through the stone walls of the castle as the beginning-of-the-school-year fear"Now that we are all settled in and sorted, I would like to make an announcement. This castle will not only be your home this year. But home to some very special guests as well. You see, Hogwarts has been chosen-" The headmaster stopped talking as Mr. Filtch interrupted him mid-sentence, the guy soaked to the bone with what would hope to be water. Students snickered as the caretaker ran off in a weird run after conversing with the old man. Peeves."So, Hogwarts has been chosen to host a legendary event. The Triwizard Tournament." Wide grins on excited face went all around the students.

"Now, for those of you who do not know, the Triwizard Tournament brings together three schools for a series of magical contests. From each school, a single student will be selected to compete." Students all around started whispering to each in excitement. Which one of them will be selected? "Now, let me be clear. If chosen, you stand _alone_. Trust me when I say, these contests are _not_ for the faint-hearted. But more of that later. Now, allow me to introduce to you-" Suddenly the ceiling to the Great Hall turned dark with clouds and lightning rumbled behind them. Students started screaming in fright, ducking their heads to hopefully avoid being struck by lightning when a spell suddenly shot from behind the staff table, into the ceiling.

The ceiling quickly cleared and everything turned back to as it was just moments ago. Everybody turned their attention towards the front to hopefully see who casted that spell. A man with a scarred face emerged from the shadows that were produced from the back door, his magic fack eye whizzing in its socket as it locked on to some students for a split second. Hushed conversations could be heard as the unnamed man walked with a limp towards Dumbledore, a trail of water dripped behind him. "It's him. That's Mad-Eye Moody." Ginny said in a hushed surprised voice towards the gang. "My father said he would be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts this year." Theo frowned slightly with curiosity as he looked across the table at the red-head.

"Alastor Moody? The auror that has been off the grid since fourteen years ago?" Ginny nodded her head in confirmation. "That same one. Half of the cells in Azkaban are filled because of him." The gang looked towards the front of the Great Hall to see Dumbledore shaking hands with Moody in greeting. "My father says that he is supposedly mad as a hatter these days," Draco added in with a whisper as Mad-Eye limped to lean back against one of the fall walls, taking a small circular vial from his trench coat pocket. "I hope that isn't alcohol in there," Hermione said with a frown, already judging him as an incompetent professor. "As I was saying," Dumbledore continues like nothing had happened as he openly motioned towards Moody with an open hand.

"Allow me in introducing you to your new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Alastor Moody! Good luck, professor!"

September 4th, Thursday

"Alastor Moody." All the students in the classroom said nothing as Moody strolled side to side with his hands behind his back at the front of the classroom. He turned around to start writing on the chalkboard in a crude handwriting. "Ex Auror. Ministry of Malcontent and your New Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." He then turned to look back at the students once again. "I'm here because Dumbledore asked me. End of story. Goodbye. The End. Any questions?" When no one said anything, he continued talking. "When it comes to the dark arts, I believe in a practical approach. But first, which one of you can tell me how many unforgivable curses there are?" Hermione was the only one who raised her hand.

"Three, sir." She stated simply as she folded her arms across her chest, wondering where he was going with this as he turned to write on the chalkboard once again. "And they are so named?" Hermione didn't even look unfazed as she continued explaining. "Because they are unforgivable, the use of any one of them will-" Moody cut her off as he furiously wrote on the chalkboard like he was remembering something from one of his assignments. "Will earn you a one-way ticket to Azkaban. Correct. Now, the Ministry says you are too young to see what these curses do. I say different!" Those in the classroom jumped from fright when he suddenly shouted with rage.

"You need to know what you are up against! You need to be prepared!" Moody walked around to another chalkboard to write on it. "You need to find another place to put your chewing gum beside the underside of your desk, Mr. Finnigan!" His statement shocked the class as nearly everyone turned to look at the Irish Gryffindor to see that he was at the process of pressing his chewed up wad of gum underneath his desk. He grumbled as he tried to subtlely place his wad up gum in his hand and tried to act as if nothing had happened. His housemates snickered and shook their heads as they turned their attention back to the front of the classroom.

"So, which curse shall we see first? Weasley!" Moody shouted as he moved to stand in front of Weasley's desk, causing the red-head to squeak with fright in his chair. "Yes?" Weasley said, looking like he wanted to pee his pants at that moment. "Stand!" The red-head shakingly stood up. "Give us a curse," Moody said gruffly and everyone was silent to see if he had one. "Well, my dad did tell me about one. The imperious curse." Moody nodded softly as his magical eye whizzed over Weasley's facial features. "Oh yeah...your father would know all about that. Gave the Ministry quite a bit of grief a few years ago. Perhaps _this_ will show you why."

Students looked curiously as Mad-Eye turned to one of the tables at the front which had some live insect looking creatures inside tall glass containers. Diana watched curiously as their professor picked a crab looking spider into their hand. " _Engorgio!_ " He said loudly and the insect grew two times its original size in his hand. " _Imperio!_ " The insect jumped from his hand onto the desk Dean Thomas was sitting just as Moody waved his wand like he was controlling the insect with an invisible string. The other students laughed as Thomas was on the verge of freaking out as the insect crawled over his hand. "Don't worry, she is completely harmless."

Moody was cackling as he made the spider jump on to Daphne's shoulder, making the girl scream a little as she tried not to move less she was afraid it would bite her. He then made the insect fly through the air and land on to Weasley's head, making more people laugh as Weasely looked about ready to pass out. "Talented isn't she?" Moody asked with glee. "What shall I have her do next? Jump out the window?" With a flick of his hand, the insect sailed through the air and landed against a large glass lens with an audible smack. "Drown herself?" No one was laughing now as the insect dangled above a bucket of water, most likely leftover water from a leak during the term feast, high pitch speaks could be heard coming from the insect is it struggled to no touch the water.

The insect finally relaxed as it was made to gently sail through the air back into the safety of Moody's hand, bringing everyone's attention back to him. "Scores of witches and wizards have claimed that they _only_ did You-Know-Who's bidding under the influence of the imperious curse." Diana huffed as she discreetly tapped on her ring. **_"_** ** _... . / .. ... -. .-. - / - - - / -... .- -.. .-.-.-" (M)_** (He isn't too bad.) "But here is the rope. How do we sort out the _liars_?" Everyone looked at each other nervously as a few students raised their hand up. A lot of people knew this one. "Come on, up, up," Moody said gruffly in an encouraging way. More people put their hand up and his attention went to Neville.

"Longbottom is it?" Neville refrained from raising an eyebrow and he put on a blank look on his face. "Y-Yeah." He said as he slowly stood up from his chair. "Professor Sprout tells me you have ineptitude for Herbology." Neville nodded before speaking. "There is a one, sir. The cruciatus curse." Moody's face light up like a child on Christmas day. "Correct! Correct!" He motioned for Neville to come with him to the front and stand next to the table while the man placed the insect onto a petri dish. " _Cruciatus!_ " Moody roared without warning and the insects started letting out high pitch squeaks as it curled and writhed in pain. A lot of people in the classroom was wincing and closing their eyes to block out the unsettling cries of pain.

The gang noticed Neville's body had tensed up as the pain cries from the insect continues. Neville had his eyes shut, his hands curled up into fists and clenched so tight, his nails dug into his palm. His parents are screaming in his head. Sweat started forming along his hairline as he tried to block out the screams. Pansy couldn't take it any longer and she shot up from her seat. "Stop! Can't you see, it's bothering him!" Her voice broke through the intense situation and Moody moved his wand away from the writhing insect, clearing his throat like he was just in a trance. Pansy quickly left her chair and hurried over to Neville.

Pansy gave Moody a scathing glare as she gently gripped Neville's arm to guide him away, the professor not reacting as he carried the weakly twitching insect onto Thomas' desk. "Now, that leaves the Killing Curse." No one wanted to move, let alone breath as Mad-Eye pointed his wand at the weak inset. " _Avada Kedavra!_ " A flash of green light consumed the insect, the entire illuminated by said light for just a split second. Eyes blinked for a few seconds or until they could stop seeing green and saw the insect had been flipped on to its back, it's thin legs curled in towards its body.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

 ** _"_** ** _Pensez-vous que Moody est vraiment fou?" (F)_** (Do you think Moody is really crazy?) Draco asked Diana as the gang was gathered in the Slytherin common room right after dinner. Those who weren't part of the group minded their own business. This was a group you don't want to mess with. Not if you want to anger the Dark Lord as well. Diana scoffed as she looked at her comrades. **_"Konechno, on sumasshedshiy. Kakoy avror nebrezhno ispolnil by neprostitel'nyye proklyatiya gruppe detey?" (R)_** (Of course he is crazy. What auror would haphazardly perform the unforgivable curses to a bunch of kids?) The others nodded in agreement.

 ** _"_** ** _È una mossa che ti porterà alla fine della carriera, a meno che tu non sia amico di Silente. Può far sparire tutte le voci." (I)_** (It's a career-ending move unless you are friends with Dumbledore. He can make all rumors disappear.)


	17. Chapter Seventeen

[A/N: Happy Halloween and Happy Halloween, everybody! WOW, 160 favorites and 209 subscribers~! I'm glad that so many of you like it! To those who just subscribed to my story or 'favorite' my story, thank you all at the bottom of my heart! I'm glad that so many of you are still following me even though things in the story are progressing slowly. I have taken direct quotes from the movie and books, so credits to JK Rowling. As usual, the foreign languages in this story are translated from Google Translate so, please let me know if something seems off. This chapter is shorter then usual and I know the first task description wasn't that great but I hope you will like i anyway. If any of you have a fanfiction request, hit me up on PM! As always, please, comment, subscribe and favorite this story and stay tuned for the next chapter.]

[A/N: There was a guest who commented on the last chapter  
 ** _Русский твой родной язык?_** (Russian is your native language?) Lol no, it's not. I just use google translate to get a lot of my foreign languages ^_^]

 ** _I_** =Italian _**M**_ =Morse Code _**P**_ =Parsel Tongue _**F**_ =French _**R**_ =Russian

Chapter 17

September 5th, Friday

"Diana!" The gang was sitting at one of the study tables in the Slytherin common room, working on one of their assignments when they heard Pansy's frantic voice. She and Blaise had stepped out to find a book in the library. They looked to see that the girl looked considerably frightened with small cuts and bruises on her face. "What in the world happen to you, Pans?" Neville asked as he immediately stood up, concern on his face as he gently cupped her cheeks while the rest stood up with the same level of concern on their faces. Pansy briefly looked at Neville as she grasped one of his hands on her cheek before turning her attention to Diana.

"Blaise and I were attacked on our way to the library by Weasel and his lot. Blaise got hurt and he is in the infirmary." Her words received hissing as they mentally vowed to seek revenge for one of their own. Diana noticed that Pansy looked like she had more to say. "What is it, Pans? Did something else happen?" Pansy's eyes welled up with tears, catching everyone off guard since she wasn't one to show such emotions often. "One of Weasel's friends, they tried to...they tried to..." Her lower lip started to quiver as tears trailed down her cheek. "They tried to...r-rape me." Neville clenched his jaw from raging anger as the rest tried comforting her while their eyes were blazing dangerously.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

 ** _"_** ** _Le mie scuse, signora mia." (I)_** (My apologies, my lady.) Blaise said as he leaned back against the propped pillow, gripping Ginny's hand tightly. **_"_** ** _Avevo abbassato la guardia e lasciato che Weasel mi attaccasse." (I)_** (I had my guard down and let Weasel attack me.) The Italian had a deep scowl on his face as he spoke. **_"_** ** _Il n'y a pas besoin de s'excuser, Blaise. Je ne m'attends pas à ce que vous soyez sur vos gardes à chaque seconde de chaque jour." (F)_** (There is no need to apologize, Blaise. I don't expect you to be on guard every second of every day.) Diana said reassuringly as she stood in between Blaise's and Pany's hospital bed.

The Italian nodded softly, still not convinced of not offending her. **_"_** ** _Tuttavia, non avrebbe mai dovuto succedere. Prometto che non accadrà mai più." (I)_** (Still, it should never have happened. I promise it will never happen again.) He said with a hard glint in his eyes before he turned to look at Pansy who had finally fallen asleep after much convincing from Neville, the gang and Madame Pomfrey. Neville stood up and looked over at Diana. **_"_** ** _Madame, avec votre permission, je vais trouver cet "ami" de Weasels et lui donner une leçon." (F)_** (My lady, with your permission, I will find this 'friend' of Weasels and give him a lesson.) Diana looked into his hard brown eyes and smirked softly.

 ** _"Vy ne yedinstvennyye, kto khochet prepodat' yemu urok, Nevill. Tem ne meneye, ya dam vashe razresheniye." (R)_** (You are not the only ones who want to teach him a lesson, Neville. However, I will grant your permission.) Diana motioned for the others as she went to leave the infirmary. **_"_ _Privedi yego k nam, kak tol'ko tebe budet veselo." (R)_** (Do bring him to us once you had a bit of fun.)

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"My lady, I have found him," Neville stated and shoved a body to the floor right in front of an occupied black leather chaise lounge chair that was in the empty common room. Diana had her eyes closed as she laid on the couch but she was no near close to falling asleep. "Perfect timing as always, Neville. I was beginning to get bored." She said with a sigh before her red speckled emerald eyes opened and looked over at the fallen guy. She was silent as she observed the guy with scrutinizing eyes before she looked to those standing behind the lounge chair. **_"_** ** _Est-il celui, Pansy?" (F)_** (Is he the one, Pansy?) Pansy barely took a second when she looked at him and nodded.

 ** _"_** ** _Oui madame. C'est Winchester." (F)_** (Yes, my lady. This is Winchester.) Diana nodded and silently motioned Neville to step away which he then moved to stand next to Pansy, placing a hand on the small of her back. "Do you know why you are here, Winchester?" Winchester looked like she wanted to say something but couldn't move his lips. Diana raised an eyebrow as she looked at Neville in a questioning look. "What? He kept on asking too many damn questions and he wouldn't stop yelling." He said with a shrug of his shoulders as he canceled the spell with a flick of his wand. "You little snakes! Release me this instant! That little whore deserved it! She should be treated like her bitch of a mother!" Winchester hollered, his voice on the verge of hysterical.

Pansy looked about ready to burst into tears if Neville wasn't there next to her, who looked extra murderous. "Oh, believe me. We'll release you one my friend here is satisfied." Diana spoke coldly, making the atmosphere chilly.

October 29th Thursday

 _ **"Kristofer, my ukhodim cherez neskol'ko minut." (R)**_ (Christopher, we're leaving in a few minutes.) A classmate said as the last of those coming climbed in the enormous wicker basket, just big enough for a giant. Christopher gave a brisk nod and climbed in with the rest of his classmates just as a forest giant stepped out from the forest surrounding Lake Ladoga.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

The gang finally broke through the sea of excited students as they crowded around the main entrance of the castle, eyes scattering around to try to see where their magical guests would appear. "Look over there! The Black Lake!" A first-year shouted as all attentions looked at the said lake. Hundreds of bubbles erupted from underneath the lake and a large ship broke the surface just as a flying carriage pulled by winged-horses broke from the clouds above. Ooo's and aah's erupted from the students. Beauxbaton and Durmstrang have arrived. Right on the dot. Excitement quickly evaporated when they felt the ground underneath start to tremor. Students started screaming with fright as the tremors got more violent and seemed to get closer, thinking an earthquake or monster was coming.

Distant sounds of trees from the forest cracking as a trail of trees swaying like something large was walking through, each minute getting closer and closer to the castle. Students became a screaming mess as they frantically looked around, unsure of what to do. The last remaining trees at the edge of the clearing gave way as a forest giant emerged from within, causing everyone to be deadly quiet. The creature let out a low guttural belting sound, causing birds to fly and creatures to scurry from within the rather long green shirt he was wearing, made from every possible greenery. No one could say a thing as the creature slowly reached behind to remove a wicker basket from its back before the students were forced to come back into the castle.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Please join me in welcoming the lovely students of the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and their Headmistress, Madame Maxime!" Dumbledore said as the door to the Great Hall swung open. A cluster of stunning students looking men and women wearing baby blue school uniforms strutted down the middle of the hall. Those who the stunning people walked passed stared at them with awe at how beautiful they looked, especially the girls who had pink tints on their cheeks when some of the guys winked at them with a charming smile. "Veela," Pansy said with a sniff, unable to hide the look of disapproval on her face when she noticed Neville was looking at the Beauxbaton girls a little too long.

"Woah...that's one _big_ woman." A student said rather loudly as a tall woman stepped into the hall behind her students. The woman loomed over the sitting students, many had to crane their necks to see her face which seemed to almost touch the ceiling. Dumbledore smiled and walked up to step up to greet the tall woman, kissing her on the back of her hand. Dumbledore quickly ran to the front of the Great Hall to gain their attention once again. "Now, our friends from the North, please greet the proud sons of Durmstrang and their high-master Igor Karkaroff!" The door slammed opened and a group of men came in wearing red sweaters, dark brown pants, and black boots.

Whispers of excitement from Quidditch rolled around when one of them was recognized as the best seeker of the world, Viktor Krum. The last one in is Karkaroff, looking sleazy and had a permanent scowl on his face with that fur outfit. He scanned around the hall, scowling more each time until he made eye contact with the gang and Christopher at the Slytherin's table. His face immediately paled when he saw those eyes similar to those of his master. He quickly greeted Dumbledore once they had made it to the front. "And now, with our newest edition, I present to you, the students of Koldovstoretz and their headmistress Misha Ivanchenkov!"

The door opened and a rather large group of students came strolling in with black military-looking uniforms with black smoke pooling around the ground. Many of the Hogwarts students raised an eyebrow at the odd assortment of students. Many of them knew what kind of school Koldovstoretz was. A school for creatures. Vampires, veelas, werewolves, faeries, mermaids and other creatures. The gang spotted Christopher amongst the crowd and the male gave them a cocky smirk. His eyes looked over to Hermione and he couldn't help the roguish smirk on his face and he winked at her. The gang snickered silently at the rather explosive blush appearing on her face. "Misha," Dumbledore said with a grandfatherly smile as he greeted her, gently kissing the back of her hand again.

She smiled politely as she motioned behind her for someone. "I would like you to meet one of my students. I believe you know his sister, Natalya Ivanov?" Dumbledore turned his attention to the young man standing in front of him. "ah yes, you must be her brother." The old man stated, his smile faltering somewhat as his eyes twinkled dangerously as he stuck his hand out for a handshake. Christopher refrained from sneering as he reluctantly shook the old man's hand. "Anton Ivanov." The young man said in a silky baritone voice, his blue eyes looking straight into the old man's twinkling ones. Their intense moment was broken when a pair of arms wrapped around his waist from behind. **_"Vse v poryadke, dorogoy brat?" (R)_** (Is everything alright, dear brother?)

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"After due consideration, the Ministry has concluded, that for their safety, no student under the age of seventeen should be allowed to put forth their name for the Triwizard Tournament. This decision is final." Crouch Sr. said. The Great Hall roared with boos from disappointed students. "That's a whole lot of rubbish!" Someone shouted. "Silence!" Dumbledore shouted, his voice carried over the voices and the voice instantly stopped. With a final tilt of his head, the man in the pin-stripe walked over to a tall structure. With a swipe of his want, the structure started to melt away to reveal a rusty looking goblet. With that, a blue flame was ignited from within.

"The goblet of fire." Anyone wishing to submit themselves to the tournament need only write their name upon a piece of parchment and throw it into the flame before this hour on Thursday night. Do not do so lightly. If chosen, there is no turning back. As from this moment, the Tri-wizard Tournament has begun."

October 31st, Friday

The Great Hall was packed to the brink, the tables groaning with the additional food to feed their long term guests. Tonight was the night the name of those who will be participating in the Tri-wizarding Tournamnent will be revealed. The atmosphere was buzzing with anticipation as Diana saw Crouch Sr. and one other man she had never seen before entered the hall with Dumbledore. The unknown man looked too giddy like a child on Christmas morning. "Who is that man standing next to Crouch?" She whispered to Christopher. His eyes immediately flashed to the head table to see who she was referring to. His eyes narrowed before he looked back to his sister. Ludo Bagman. Father says he works in the Department of Magical Games and Sports."

Diana nodded just as the Great Hall quieted down when Dumbledore stepped up to the podium, his arms stretched out and that usual grandfatherly smile on his face. "Now, the moment you all have been waiting for, the Champions selection!" As if thriving on his dramatics, the fire that never seemed to waver, flared up brightly as the light from the candles dimmed down for a more dramatic effect. On que, the fire in the goblet suddenly turned red and it shot up towards the ceiling before something started to slowly flutter down the air. Dumbledore shot his hand out to grab it out of the air. It was a piece of parchment paper, the edges smoldering with ember. "Our Durmstang champion is...Victor Krum!"

Those at the Gryffindor table roared with excitement, clapping as a burly looking man stood up, a small smirk play with his lips as his fellow school mates clapped his back. He stepped up to Dumbeldore and shook hands briefly before he walked to the back room to wait for the selection to be done. The cup flared red flames once again and another piece of parchments shot up, this time blue, into the sky with the red flames. Dumbledore plucked it out of the air and he took a second to read the name on there. "Champion for Beauxbaton's...Fleur Delacour!" The stunning ladies at the Ravenclaw table cheered and clapped as a girl in with blonde hair stood up. She sauntered to Dumbledore and shook his hand with a dainty one before disappeared into the back room.

The goblet flared red flames once again and the old man shot up to grab another piece of parchment out of the air. "Hogwarts champion...Cedric Diggory!" The Hufflepuff table roared with loud cheers and hands slamming on tables as a tall wiry guy stood up. He shook Dumbeldore's hand and he also disappeared in the back room. "Now for our last champion!" Dumbledore said boisterously. The goblet flared one last time and the old man snatched a black piece of parchment from the sky with white ink written on it. "Koldovstoretz champion...Anton Ivanov!" The Slytherin table roared with delight as mixtures of howls and cheers. Christopher had a satisfied smirk on his face as he stood up. He leisurely walked over and shook Dumbledore's hand before disappear in the back room.

"Excellent! We now have our four champions! But in the end, only one will go down in history. The only one will hoist this chalice of champions. This vessel of victory. This Tri-wizard Cup!" The Great Hall erupted in loud cheers and claps as the blanket covering the chalice came off to reveal a chalice made from goblin glass. Oooo's and aaahh's could be heard as cheering kept going with renewed excitement.

November 2nd, Monday

Dumbledore's eyes caught sight of an interesting development during supper in the Great Hall. "Severus." He said, drawing the Potion master's attention from a heated conversation with Karkaroff. "Yes, Dumbledore?" The old man motioned towards the Slytherin's table. "Mr. Ivanov and Miss Greengrass seem to be well acquainted with each other. A developing relationship perhaps?" Severus barely kept from sneering at his questions but he remained his former behavior. "Miss Ivanov and Miss Greengrass are close friends. I presume they had met during the summer. Why do you inquire such questions?" He asked. "Nothing, my boy." The old man said before turning to his other side where Ivanchenkov was sitting, her attention on the conversation.

"Misha, are you aware that one of your students is pursuing a relationship with one of my fourth years?" The potions master let out a low growl, so low to be heard over the clammers of the regular feast. _What authority does he have to be concerned about such things? Damn old bastard!_ Misha raised a dark eyebrow at Dumbledore's question, putting down her cutlery to give the headmaster her full attention. "I am well aware of what Anton is doing with young Miss Greengrass. He has told me before we have arrived here. I don't see how this would concern you, Albus. I am perfectly fine with the young couple." Dumbledore's twinkled behind his half-rimmed glasses.

November 3rd, Tuesday

"Why are we here, Dumbledore?" Stepan asked coldly as he sat on the couch with his wife while the other couch was occupied by the Greengrass. "I'll explain once our other guests have arrived." The old man said with a smile. The adults scowled, displeased with that answer as they silently waited. Not too long later, there was a knock on the door and Hermione came in with Severus while Christopher came in with Misha. Hushed Russian could be heard as the two students sat with their respective parents. "What is this, Professor? I still have class, so I would appreciate it if we could end this quickly." Christopher said indifferently, his leg crossed over the other.

Dumbledore smiled as he leaned forward in his chair, clasping his hands together on top of his desk. "My dear boy, can you tell me about your relationship with Miss Hermione here?" Christopher silently raised an eyebrow. "And how is my son's relationship with Hermione any of your business, Dumbledore? Must I remind you that you are just a headmaster, not a counselor." Valentina asked in a clipped voice. Dumbledore had a dangerous look in his eyes. "That is true, I am just a headmaster, but a headmaster that cares for his students. I'm sure you are aware of the situation when one is an adult and the other is not even of age?" The Ivanov's and the Greengrass gasped while Christopher narrowed his eyes.

"Are you implying statutory rape?" The old man's face turned somber as if he cared. "Unfortunately, yes, my lad." This time, Hermione slammed her hand on the armrest and bolted to her feet. "That rule only applies if there was sex happening, which I assure you, there isn't! Even if there was, I most certainly won't tell you!" Christopher smirked as he reached out to gently grasp her hands with his large ones. "Hermione is right, headmaster. Even if we did, we wouldn't tell you. However, I'll leave you on a little secret. Your rules don't apply to Koldovstoretz even though we are om London grounds. The moment we step into our transport, all bets are off. Right, Professor?" He asked as he looked over his shoulder to Misha.

She nodded, staring coldly at Dumbledore. "Exactly, Dumbledore. In Russian, we have many different rules, especially with regards to our students." Dumbledore's eyes narrowed just slightly when he caught sight of Christopher's rather smug look. "That may be so, but when you are in _my_ castle, rules are rules." Misha looked like she had sucked a lemon before she looked at Christopher. **_"_ _Moy gospodin? Chto budesh' delat'?" (R)_** (My lord? What will you do now?) Christopher didn't look over at her as he gently grasped Hermione's small hands, the gesture didn't go unnoticed by those in the room. **_"My prodolzhayem idti. Mne vse ravno, chto dumayet etot staryy ublyudok. My budem vmeste." (R)_** (We keep going. I don't care what that old fucker thinks. We will be together.)

Misha nodded once and turned her attention back to Dumbledore. "Very well, Albus. I will heed your words but know this, Anton here is a grown adult. I can't control what he does."

November 7th, Saturday

The wooden bench facing the Black Lake jumped slightly as Hermione plopped down on it with a huff. The gang raised an eyebrow at ger annoyed expression. "What's up with you, Mione?" Theo pipped up, Daphne in his arms. The gang usually went to the library or the Slytherin common room to study but with the additional students there, it was getting too noisy. "I had to get away from Krum. He was getting on my nerves just staring at me while I'm studying." The gang snickered softly. "He must have gotten one too many bludgers to the head if you ask me," Pansy said with a sniff. "He'll get a lot more if Christopher finds out," Neville said, his face buried slightly into Pansy's hair.

"I will find out about what?" Christopher's voice came from behind them and they quickly turned around to see him walk up to them, looking curiously at them since he heard his name in their conversation.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

Christopher looked annoyed as he instinctively held Hermione close to his body after they told him what they were talking about. **_"_** ** _Ce petit bâtard ferait mieux de surveiller ses arrières. Si je le vois te regarder, Hermione, il trouvera ses globes oculaires enfoncés dans sa gorge stupide." (F)_** (That little bastard better watch his back. If I see him looking at you, Hermione, he'll find his eyeballs shoved down his stupid throat.) The gang collectively snorted as Hermione gently scolded him for his violent words even though they knew she would love to see that happen.

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"What in the world happen to you, Theo?" Ginny asked in a worried tone for her housemate as she helped the gang sit Theodore down at the house table just as dinner started. The guy looked very pale, his hand slightly pale and shaking. **_"_** ** _Alastor Moody est le foutu problème." (F)_** (Alastor Moody is the damn problem.) Daphne said with a hiss as they all sat down, glaring at the head table where the ex-auror was sitting, his one magical eye whizzed around rapidly in its socket as he guzzled down a goblet of mysterious liquid. It wasn't wine or pumpkin juice. **_"_** ** _Il décida que Theo serait son mannequin pour la journée." (F)_** (He decided Theo would be his practice dummy for the day.) Daphne added, gently patting him on the arm to soothe him.

 _ **"** **Avez-vous dit à Severus? Il peut avertir les aurors." (F)**_ (Have you told Severus? He can notify the aurors.) Ginny asked, leaning against Blaise. Diana scoffed coldly as she shook her head. **_"_** ** _Les Aurors ne vont pas aider pour la merde. À la minute où ils interrogeront Dumbledore, il saura que c'est nous et fera tout son possible pour balayer l'incident sous le tapis." (F)_** (The aurors won't help up for shit. The minute they question Dumbledore, he will know it is us and will do everything he can to sweep the incident under the rug.) She felt a nudge on her arm and she noticed Draco was glaring daggers at the Gryffindor table who seemed to be snickering gleefully at their predicament that Theo was hurt.

 ** _"_** ** _Zut Gryffondors. Ils ne riront pas si l'un des leurs était blessé." (F)_** (Damn Gryffindors. They won't be laughing if one of their own got hurt.) Blaise sneered as he clenched his fist, fighting the urge to jump the table and just sock one of them on the face. **_"_** ** _Ignore les." (F)_** (Ignore them.) Diana said in a hushed voice, her eyes looking closely at Theo, noticing the occasional winces on his face every time he moved a little bit. **_"_** ** _Es-tu sûr de ne pas vouloir aller à l'infirmerie, Theo?" (F)_** (Are you sure you don't want to go to the infirmary, Theo?) Diana asked. Theo gave the smallest of nods like he was avoiding triggering the pain.

Draco then leaned against the table. **_"Dis_** ** _juste le mot, Theo. Mon père viendra et t'emmènera à Saint Mungo." (F)_** (Just say the word, Theo. My father will come and take you to Saint Mungo's.)

November 13th, Friday

"Hhmm...very interesting...this is made by Petrov, is that correct?" Ollivander asked in a whispy voice as he grasped Christopher's wand with his bony fingers. "That's correct," Christopher said as he watched the elderly wizard examine his wand for the Weighing of the Wands portion of the Triwizard Tournament. "Hhmm...there is a lot of strong magic performed by this wand. Looks like there will be a strong competition this time." Ollivander said with a twinkle in his eyes, nothing at all like Dumbledore's, as he handed Christopher back his wand. Christopher gave a silent nod as he moved to stand next to the other champions, right next to Viktor Krum. "You think you are good enough to beat me, Ivanov?" Krum sneered in a whisper so no one could hear them.

"I know I am," Christopher said, not bothering to even look over at the national Quidditch player. "I am even good enough for Hermione to be with me." He said as he faced Krum, causing the guy to hiss, getting riled up as he got ready to give Christopher a piece of his mind when a flash of bright light blinded them and the sound of a camera snapping a picture. The champions quickly looked over to see a woman with blond hair and horned rimmed glasses dressed in a tweed jacket and skirt with a man holding a camera behind her. "My my, save your anger for the tasks, gentlemen. I'm sure there will enough to go around." She had a smile on her red lipstick covered lips as she strutted to step up to the front of the room with her cameraman, pausing for a second as he snapped another photo.

"What a charismatic quartet...Hello," She steps up to them and shook their hands in a firm grip. "I'm Rita Skeeter. I write for the Daily Prophet. But of course you know that, don't you." She said, sounding like they should all know her by now. No one wanted to tell her that none of them has heard of her let alone had read any of her columns."It's _you_ we don't know. You are the juicy news." She then reached over to gently caress Fleur's cheek. "What _quirks_ lurk beneath those rosy cheeks." The French woman flinched a little as her cheek was lightly slapped. "What _mysteries_ do the muscles mask?" Rita said as she lounged an arm around Christopher's shoulder and started messing up his hair.

"Does courage _lie_ beneath those curls?" He had to refrain from hissing at the woman to remove her hand. "Each shows what makes a champion tick. Me, myself, and I want to know, not to mention my rabid readers. So, who is willing to share it?" No one said a word, not a single one wanted to be interviewed first as the woman looked at each of their faces. Rita seemed to have anticipated this as she then grabbed Christopher by the sleeve. "I'll start with the Russian first. Perfect." She said sarcastically as she pulled him with her to a vacant broom closet. Christopher let out a hiss of annoyance as he forced to sit down on a rickety metal bucket while she sat down on a discarded wooden crate.

"Ah, nice and cozy." The woman said as she did a quick look over the narrow space before she pulled out a notepad and a green feather quill. "Shall we begin? You don't mind me using a quick-quote-quill?" She asked as she sucked on the tip of her quill. Christopher raised an eyebrow before responding. "No, I don't mind." With that response, she flashed him a smile just as the quill seemed to come to life and it floated in the air at the ready with the notepad. "Good. Now, _I_ hear that your sister goes to Hogwarts. Why are you two going to different schools?" Christopher felt annoyed about that question but knew she would ask such questions. "We go to different schools because my parents would like to keep Dumbledore's involvement with our family to a minimum."

Rita Skeeter looked curious as she nodded, the quill whizzing frantically against the notepad, leaving scribbled words behind. "Interesting...care to explain?" She asked. Christopher crossed his arms across his chest with a stony look to his face. "Unfortunately, I can't divulge such information to you, Skeeter." Skeeter pierced her lips like she had swallowed a lemon before she looked at the quill. "scratch that." Christopher smirked a tiny bit when she wasn't looking. She was like any other reporter. Starving for the next story to write. Well, he wasn't going to give it to her. "I hear that your parents are tied to important people in the Russian magical government. How do your parents feel knowing that you are participating in such a _dangerous_ competition?"

Before Christian could even respond to her question, he saw the quill start scribbling across the paper. He moved his head a little and was able to catch snippets of words. His eyes narrowed as he looked over at Skeeter. "I suggest you think carefully about what you will write next, Skeeter. Like you have mentioned before, my parents know _a lot_ of important people." The quill immediately started going back and crossing out sentences.

November 14th, Saturday

"You must have given Skeeter a run for her money. She has written a lot about you out of all the other champions." Diana said to Christopher during breakfast. The interview from last night had finally been printed out for the morning edition of the _Daily Prophet_. **_"Je vous suggère de faire attention cependant." (F)_** (I suggest you be careful though.) Draco said in a hushed voice. Christopher raised an eyebrow. **_"_** **Est-ce vrai?" (F)** (Is that so?) He said in a equally hushed voice. _"Dicono che abbia spie dappertutto. Ecco perché può ottenere informazioni anche se presumibilmente classificate." (I)_ (They say she has spies everywhere. That's why she can get information even if it's suppoosedly classified.) Blaise said in a low voice after he made sure no one was around.

Christopher raised an eyebrow once again at this information. **_"Interesnyy" (R)_** (Interesting...) This could delay things alittle. _**"Mon père a dit que les Aurors étaient en mission pour enquêter sur un diplomate européen. Topo secret. Seuls les aurors de cette mission étaient supposés connaître des informations. Skeeter a écrit un article pour le Daily Prophet le matin. Les Aurors ont failli perdre leur mission." (F)** _(My father said that the aurors were on some mission investigating some European diplomat. Top secret. No one but the aurors on that assignment were suppose to know information. Skeeter wrote an article for the Daily Prophet the morning. The aurors nearly lost the assignment.) Ginny mentioned, a scowl on her face as Blaise held her close.

November 22nd, Sunday

"Where are you taking me, Misha?" Christopher asked, feeling slightly annoyed fom being lured away from the warmth of the temporary home for the Koldovstoretz students. The woman chuckled as she led h student deeper and deeper into the forest. "You'll see." Christopher couldn't help but roll his eyes with her teasing ways. She maybe ten years older then him, she still acts like a child sometimes. "I learned something that will be very relevant to your first task." She said over her shoulder. Christopher sighed he continued to follow her. "And what is that?" He said as he started hearing low roaring sounds in the distance.

The two walked through the thick brushs, each step getting closer to the strange roaring sounds, the surrounding brushes and trees glowing orange every so often. "Your clue is just on the other side of those brushes. This will be the closes we can get. Christopher raised an eyebrow as he slowly walked over to the brushes his headmistress said, noticing that a constant orange glow was around it. He peeked to the side and his mouth early dropped open at the sight before he quickly whipped around to look at Misha. "Dragons?!"

November 24th, Tuesday

The excitement in the air was more palpable then when there was a Quidditch game as the arena was packed full. Instead of the usual lush green ground and the Quidditch goal posts, there were rocky terrains and the spectator stands seemed to higher then usual with concrete walls surrounding it. "There you are, Hermione. Where did you go? You were just behind us and then you suddenly disappear." Daphne said, puffing her cheers with annoyance. The brunette had a sight pink tinge to her cheeks as she sat down next to Diana. "Sorry. I went to Christopher to make sure he had a plan to handle the dragon." Diana assumed something else had happened but she nodded her head. "Good. The first task is about to begin in a couple minutes."

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Champions, gather around. Gather around." Barty Crouch Sr. said after he stepped into the champion's tent with Dumbledore behind him. The man took a few seconds to arrange the champions in a certain way as he clutched a small satchel to his chest. "Now, Miss Delacour, if you don't mind reaching into this bag." He said as he opened the satchel for the French woman. Delacour gulped nervously as she reached into the satchel, flinching when her fingers touched something and pulled out a miniature green dragon. "Common Welsh Green." Barty Sr said before he moved on to Viktor Krum. The man plunged his hand into the satchel and pulled out a miniature red dragon. "Chinese Fireball. Ooooo." He said in a hushed voice before he moved to Diggory.

"Swedish Short Snout." The man said before he then moved to Christopher. "Mr. Ivanov?" Christopher felt Misha behind him and many eyes on him. _The only one left in the Hungarian Horntail.._ He thought as he plunged his hand in the bag. He felt his fingers rasp against something warm and moving inside before grasping at it and pulling his hand back out. "And the last one, Hungarian Horntail."

*~*~*~*:*~*~*~*

"Finally, its Christopher's turn next." Diana groaned, feeling annoyed about sitting in one spot for Merlin knows how long. The wind had picked up slightly in the grey sky as the arena got quiet to wait for the next champion to show up, the sound of the flags flapping in the wind sounded louder then usual. Christopher slowly stepped onto the arena and the arena erupted with roars, the most coming from the Slytherins and Koldovstoretz. Christopher already had his wand out as he carefully scanned his surroundings from where he was. Nothing. He cautiously took another step and a dragon's table flew out from above and slammed against the stone floor, causing stone fragments to fly as the spectators gasped from fright.

Christopher immediately pulled up a protective shield just in time to reflect the flying pieces. He kept the shield as he turned to face the Hungarian Horn Tail. The creature was as vile when he last saw it that night. "Come on then..."He mumbled mid-breath, gripping his wand even more tighter. He barley had time to react when he saw the dragon reared his head back a little and a jet of fire shot out of his mouth and he barely escaped being burned to a crisp as he hid behind a large boulder. The boulder shuddered as the fire collided against the cold surface and Christopher could still feel the heat against his back. He cautiously peeked from the corner just as the dragon stopped shooting fire and caught sight of the golden egg in a nest.

Christopher then moved from his hiding spot and dodged around the boulders, keeping an eye on the dragon who watched his every move with its beady yellow eyes. He then made a run for it and barely stopped in time to dodge the dragon's tail from smooshing him. He barely looked over his shoulder as he shot a powerful cutting curse to it. He hear it let out a an annoyed screech as the curse nicked its scaly hide just as he stopped briefly. His heart was thumping loudly in his chest as he ran to the dragon as he flicked his wand sharply in the air.

The dragon let out a loud bellow as the spell caused him to topple backwards against the concrete wall like a giant force was pushed against the dragon, creating a large dent from where it collided. Christoper smirked with satisfaction and was about to run for the golden egg just as the dragon crumpled to the ground when he heard the concrete wall start to rumble, large cracks started forming from the large dent. He couldn't help but stop running as more cracks appeared, long ones scaling up the wall around the area where his sister and the gang sat as the dragon got up from the ground and was about to storm after him. Louder rumbles could be heard before concrete piece started falling from that area, exposing screaming students.

Chaos erupted everywhere as the screams caught the dragon's attention. Its yellow eyes glared at those tiny creatures, Noticing how yummy this tiny creatures were instead. The creature then made its tail out and smacking it against the concrete, causing more rubble to fall as the wall shook harder then before. Christopher saw as more chunks of the wall fall off just as he heard a female scream and his eyes widened as he saw Hermione falling, causing the dragon to catch sight of her falling body with its yellow eyes and stretching its long neck with its mouth open to catch her.

"Hermione!" He yelled and he quickly closed eyes, pushing away the rolling emotions about this girl away for a second to concentrate. He disappeared with sharp crack to only reappear with Hermione in his arms, causing the spectators to gasp and mutter with wonder as to how he did it. Christopher placed Hermione back on her feet, looking a little shaken but alright as he pushed her behind him to shield her from the dragon, both backing up slowly to press against the wall. "Stay behind me at all times. Do you understand me?" He said in a commanding tone as he kept a careful eye on the dragon. Hermione silently nodded even though he couldn't see her, knowing he would get the message as she squeezed his hand.

The dragon was pissed as it let out an angry roar as it walked slowly towards them, shaking the arena. _Here goes nothing._ Christopher thought as he watched the dragon reared its neck back, its jowls quivering as flames traveled up the inside of its throat. He gripped Hermione's hand a little and quickly let it go as the dragon erupted fire from its mouth, the hot liquid shooting towards them with lightening speed. The spectators gasped as the fire collided with the concrete wall, causing smoke to erupt into the air. The air was deadly quiet as they waited for the smoke to dissipate to see if the fourth champion had made it. The silence was cut when an even louder dragon roared from with in the smoke. A horned tail swiped through the smoke, causing the smoke to be blown away to reveal a much larger Hungarian Horntail.


End file.
